I view Cultures as the OG soup, salad, and sandwich chain. They sold these things before it was cool and trendy to be "health conscious", lol. They've been around for over 30 years actually.
In 2003 they were acquired by the MTY Group, and they saw almost a doubling in the number of locations across Canada (they have about 45 locations now). Although they have always been a chain, I do find that with time, they have become "more chain-like" if that makes sense. In days past they were more like those little independent panini shops where different types of panini were pre-made and laid out, then pressed to order. Even though the sandwiches were pre-made they always tasted fresh (they'd be made every morning). And there would be big bowls of pre-made salads, like pasta salad, bean salad, couscous salad, etc. Now things are more made-to-order, which you think would be a good thing, but it just feels more like a Subway Sandwiches now, lol.
There's only one Cultures Restaurant in all of Ottawa (this one at Bayshore Shopping Centre) and only 2 in the whole National Capital Region (the other one is on Gatineau). There are lots in Toronto and in Montreal.
My first time eating at Cultures was in Toronto with my mom when I was a kid. We ate at food courts a lot, it was good times, lol.
I do like Cultures in general, but this location is not as nice as the ones in Toronto and Montreal. And of course, not as nice as Cultures of days past ;) Still a good place to grab a healthier meal at the food court though. read more