The Jungle Jim’s Story

Original Store

Jungle Jim’s shifts from a seasonal operation to a year-round establishment with produce, grocery, deli, and a brand new Jungle-themed entrance. Some of the people who helped build the iconic scene are still around and working here today!

If you drove by Jungle Jim’s during the 80’s, you wouldn’t see any signs or logos, but a large row of live palm trees that Jungle shipped in from Florida. When the trees died in the winter months, employees took them home!

Jungle Jim’s grows to include seafood, wine, refrigerated groceries, and even a bakery on the former grounds of an old racetrack from the 40’s and 50’s. A helpful blue octopus is painted on the floor to direct customers to the new departments with their eight arms.

Jungle was looking to set his store apart from others. He was visiting the different specialty markets in Toronto’s Chinatown when the thought struck, “Let’s have it all under one roof!” Jungle Jim’s breaks ground on its International expansion that year, featuring unique goods from all around the world.

King’s Island sells its retired monorail ride to Jungle Jim’s for a whopping $1 to move it off the property, where it becomes the famous Jungle Jim’s Monorails we know today! A Monorail needs somewhere to go, so The Oscar Station and a 1,400 ft track are built for it to glide overhead.

The Oscar Event Center opens its doors initially as a commercial kitchen until a series of kitchen disasters changes Jungle’s mind. In the meantime, the store continues to grow with a new decorative breezeway connecting the Giraffe and Rhino entrances, a greenhouse, new additions to grocery, and a warehouse for Jungle’s secret projects called Toots’ Easy Money Incorporated.

New neighbors arrive at the Jungle with the addition of tenant spaces and the Monorail track is fully finished! To this day, The Monorail transports guests to and from the store for special events and festivals.

The idea to open a second location takes root. Initially, Jungle was scouting a different location as his second store, but decided on Eastgate so he could build the store how he wanted it. The Eastgate building was the original location of “Biggs,” the first large megastore chain in the United States, and the hypermarket design that inspired superwalmart.

It’s the Grand Opening of Jungle Jim’s Eastgate! It would be a couple years before it was the grand location we know today, starting with bare bones essentials. Fun fact: Our Eastgate Grocery Department was originally the “Biggs” bakery. It was that huge! Enough to accommodate their signature baguettes.

The Oscar Station is gradually converted into an event space. The renovations finish a month before the 2020 Pandemic and The Station is subsequently closed for a few years. At the same time, the Breezeway is turned into more tenant space and The Greenhouse changes into a large Toy Department.

2023 marks the start of the largest store expansion in 20 years. Our International Department grows to include even more unique foods from around the world– most notably Nepal and Africa. No matter the year, the Jungle is always changing, and we’re currently hard at work on the new dispensary. Stop by and see us when it’s done!