Inside the ground floor of Continental Tower at 150 E. Gay St., the freezers are in place and the product casings are installed. But Toro Meat Market still doesn't have a date it can promise downtown Columbus residents for when they'll actually be able to walk in and shop.
The build-out inside the 11,000-square-foot space has seen little visible construction activity over the summer, according to Columbus Underground, which reported this week that the store is still awaiting final municipal building and health inspections before it can open. The outlet's report, published Thursday, notes the site was originally slated for a fall 2025 opening before slipping into late 2026 — a timeline also laid out by WhatNow, which reports Toro is now targeting a fall 2026 debut and reportedly considering November as a possible month, though no confirmed grand-opening date has been set.
When it does open, the downtown location is expected to offer fresh produce, a full-service butcher counter, prepared foods, a bakery, household essentials, a coffee shop and a bar, per the original announcement cited by WhatNow. Toro has described the space as a neighborhood hub for shopping, eating and gathering. The butcher counters at other Toro locations feature beef, pork, poultry, specialty meats and house-made chorizo, while the broader grocery selection includes fresh produce, dairy, bakery goods, spices, tortillas, specialty cheeses, snacks and imported Mexican and Central American products; some locations also offer hot prepared foods and ready-to-eat meals.
A Grocery Gap Downtown Has Waited Years to Fill
The delays matter because of what's missing downtown right now. Toro's new store will be only the second full-scale grocery store operating in Downtown Columbus, according to Columbus Business First, which notes the urban core has historically faced limited grocery access even as its residential population has surged. WOSU Public Media reported 13,513 Downtown Columbus residents for a period ending in November 2025. A goal for downtown is to become a neighborhood of choice.
That demand is concentrated directly above the market. Apartments at Continental Tower, the 26-story high-rise that WhatNow notes was converted from office space into residences, began welcoming tenants in mid-2025, with rents starting around $1,050 to $1,400 a month for studios and climbing to roughly $3,000 for two-bedroom units, the same Columbus Business First report states. The building's conversion is listed as complete, per that outlet's reporting.
City Dollars Are Backing the Build-Out
Toro's opening is part of the city's Ground Floor Growth Initiative, which involves Downtown Columbus Inc., Columbus Empowerment Corporation and city leadership, according to WhatNow. The program supports small businesses opening downtown brick-and-mortar locations through rent assistance and technical support. The city provides rent subsidies for three years, WBNS 10TV reported in June 2025.
Downtown Columbus Inc. and Columbus Empowerment Corporation are involved in the initiative, which offers technical support to small businesses. The arrangement is intended to support small businesses seeking downtown brick-and-mortar locations. Toro wasn't chosen alone — Dos Hermanos, owned by Lisa Gutierrez, was selected alongside Toro in June 2025 to open at 16 N. High Street, WOSU Public Media reported.
From a 2022 Startup to a Fifth Central Ohio Location
Toro Meat Market was founded by Fernando Alcauter in 2022 and has since expanded across Central Ohio, with existing stores on the north side of Columbus and on Parsons Avenue southeast of downtown, according to Columbus Underground. The downtown location will mark the chain's fifth store. Once open, it will give nearby residents another option for fresh groceries and specialty ingredients in a part of the city that has long lacked them, WhatNow reports.
The Continental Tower conversion itself has drawn industry recognition. The project was named Redevelopment of the Year in Columbus at the 2026 CoStar Impact Awards for preserving original historic features, including interior quartzite wall cladding, while adaptively reusing 550,000 square feet of former office space, according to CoStar News. Washington, D.C.-based developer Bernstein Cos. acquired the 1972 tower before investing more than $100 million to convert it into 409 apartments, with HGC Construction serving as the general contractor. For now, though, the market at its base remains a waiting game — equipment ready, shelves mostly stocked, and a grand opening still pending the city's final sign-off.
