The Edmonton-based Italian Centre Shop is expanding, announcing Wednesday it will be opening its fifth location in the Fall of 2021 in Strathcona County’s Sherwood Park.
It will be located in the Emerald Hills Urban Village in 22,500 square feet of space featuring a licensed 50-seat cafe, 30-seat patio and all the regular offerings the company has in deli, bakery and grocery.
“My father Frank started importing newspapers and coffee beans in the heart of Edmonton’s Little Italy to Italians 60 years ago,” said Teresa Spinelli, owner and president of the Italian Centre Shop. “We’re proud to keep his legacy alive and expand our footprint in central Alberta to such a culturally-diverse, family-oriented and rapidly growing area.
“I’m asked every day by loyal customers who live in Sherwood Park when we’ll open a location in the east. It’s humbling to know that after this long, Albertans keep supporting our family business and want to be part of our growth. We’ve finally found a space to accommodate our needs operationally, but it meant a lot to our organization to open in an area with food lovers of all ages, busy families and a community known for supporting local businesses. We are very blessed.”
The Italian Centre Shop was founded in 1959 by Frank Spinelli and currently operates three locations in Edmonton and one in Calgary.
Spinelli told Calgary’s Business that the Italian Centre Shop plans to open a second location in Calgary around the same time as the Sherwood Park location.
“We haven’t officially signed off on Calgary but we’re very, very close. Our store is currently in southeast Calgary. This will be in southwest Calgary. We think Calgary could do a third store. If Edmonton could three, we think Calgary could do three. The Calgary store right now is doing really great. So we’re really excited about that possibility,” said Spinelli.
“And I really want to go to Saskatoon. I don’t know why but I just feel that’s the right move and then we’ll see . . . I think we’re okay for Edmonton although we are looking at another possibility in a new area of Edmonton. I don’t know. We’ll look at the numbers and see if it works.”
One of the developers of the urban village in Emerald Hills is Cameron Development Corporation which is an Edmonton-based commercial real estate development company.
“From opening its first location in Edmonton’s Little Italy, to the announcement of this new store, the Spinelli name has been synonymous with the tastes and traditions of Europe, all under one roof,“ said Cameron Naqvi, President of Cameron. “As a family business as well, we feel extremely fortunate to work with the Italian Centre Shop, and are pleased it has chosen Emerald Hills to further share its established brand with a new generation of shoppers.”
