What used to be a practical, no-frills strip mall is being reshaped into a mixed-use village with all of the above and nothing truly homegrown. That may change, but for now it requires a trip up a few blocks to Feltham Centre for that authentic local flavour with Naughty Nellies Fish & Chips and Hothouse Pizza. Until then, the franchise cavalry has arrived and is collecting receipts.

Victoria Buzz said Oakberry open over the Summer. As a Brazilian açaí chain serving up bowls and smoothies, people will want. I tried them once when in Vancovuer, and generally approve. There will be downtown location too, because apparently Victoria is ready for an açaí moment. On the complete opposite end of the nutritional spectrum, Fatburger signage has appeared, ready to undo everything Oakberry is set to accomplish. It’s the kind of tenant mix that makes you wonder about the timeline for Save-on-Foods ever coming back to anchor the grocery end of things.

Beyond confirmed openings, the rumour mill is doing what it does best, quietly spinning out possibilities. With the density being built into this development, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see more fast-casual chains targeting students and young professionals, alongside the usual West Coast staples. Coffee feels inevitable, and whether Starbucks migrates out of their current locations in Shelbourne to plant a new flag here is a question a few people are already asking. According to an Instagram post, it’l be Artigiano. The last thing this stretch needs is another green mermaid staking territory.

What makes this evolution worth watching isn’t just who shows up, but how the whole thing comes together as a neighbourhood. This isn’t a standalone food strip trying to pull people in from across the city. It’s being built as part of a residential ecosystem where the customer base is already baked in: residents, students, nearby offices, all within walking distance and all contributing to that daily rhythm of coffee runs, quick lunches, and “I am not cooking tonight” dinners. Those food scents drifting up to the apartments above are less an amenity and more a corporate love letter to impulse spending.

And instead of anything resembling a food court with character, what’s rising here feels more like a corporate arcade, a polished collection of recognizable logos that functions as infrastructure more than community. Which, while we’re dreaming out loud, points to the real gap this city has. Not another ramen spot. Not another poke bowl. A competing movie theatre chain to break Cineplex’s stranglehold across the Greater Victoria area. Landmark called this neighbourhood home once, and when that screen went dark, it took something genuinely local with it. UVic’s Cinecenta is a treasure in its own right, but third-run art house programming and a new release are two very different Friday nights. Now that would be worth lining up for.