Pop-up roller rink opening in former Decathlon store in Greater Toronto Area

A pop-up roller rink will open in a former Greater Toronto Area Decathlon store.

French sporting goods retailer Decathlon closed all five of its stores in the GTA last year — leaving vacant spaces in malls and shopping centres.

But with the closure comes something new.

SUSO Skate Co., a pop-up roller rink business based out of Toronto, transforms empty retail spaces into fun community destinations. The business was started by husband and wife team Henry O’Brien and Janine Bartels at The Bentway in Toronto as a lockdown project in the summer of 2021.

Since then, SUSO has opened over 15 pop-ups around the GTA, including at Bramalea City Centre, Oshawa Centre, Cambridge Centre, Promenade Shopping Centre, CF Shops at Don Mills and Cloverdale Mall.

The company just announced that the latest location will occupy the former Decathlon store in Mapleview Shopping Centre, 900 Maple Ave. in Burlington. A pop-up at the Oshawa Centre will close soon with the last skate on Jan. 25.

This newest pop-up opens on Feb. 12 and people can book now, O’Brien told YourCityWithin.

Much like an old-school roller rink, the pop-ups use colourful lighting and music to create the vibe. There are theme nights such as Soca Saturday, Seventies Sunday and Walkman Wednesday.

The goal is to transform unique and underused spaces to create memorable moments.

“Our mission is a simple one – get people active and having fun with friends and family, while reducing the amount of time they spend on their digital devices,” SUSO says on their website.

To date, their pop-ups have welcomed in excess of 100,000 skaters, O’Brien said.

SUSO has also launched a mobile skate van that works with BIA’s and municipal recreation departments to bring free skate rental to communities around southern Ontario, he added.

The new pop-up in Burlington will open from Wednesday to Sunday with all ages and adult skate hours.

Adult admission with a skate rental starts at $18 — there are also more economical membership options for frequent skaters. And there are private booking options as well.

For more information and to book a skate see the SUSO Skate Co. website here.

Photos: SUSO Skate Co.