Honest Ed's

Honest Ed's is a discount store opened in 1948. The name is from the owner, Ed Mirvish. He died in 2007 and had operated the store over 60 years.  The store sign uses 23,000 light bulbs and it looks like a theatre rather than a discount store! At night, it is very attractive and entertaining. It has 2 buildings separated by an alley. The main building is at 581 Bloor Street West and the extension at 760 Bloor Street West is connected by a walkway crossing Honest Ed Alley. 

There was extreme heat warning today. I stayed in the car for sketching. I did it quickly so that I went to the shop. The interior is very tidy and big. They sell everything and the goods are cheap. The store has a simple interior design but decorated with the photos and posters of the actors and actresses. These are from old films and stage productions from Mirvish's theatres in Toronto and London, England, as well as of actors and musicians who performed in them (many of these inscribed to Ed Mirvish himself). 



I love the hand-written signs in the store. They're all done by free hand painting. So awesome! Video about the sign painter, Wayne Reuben
Two buildings are connected in the basement level. The ground floor has souvenirs and groceries. Fabric goods are in the basement level. The second floor has T-shirts and garments. Before Christmas and Thanksgiving Day holidays, they also have free turkey giveaways.

However, the store is scheduled to close on December 31st, 2016 for redevelopment.