Little Italy just got a little bit more Italian with the arrival of Bosa Foods on Commercial Drive.
The Italian specialty grocer, a fixture on Victoria Drive for almost 60 years, made the move to Commercial in August. In what might be disappointing news for Drive shoppers, however, the move is only temporary.
“We are rebuilding the other store,” confirms Bosa’s business development manager, Chris MacDonald. “Demolition and construction hasn’t started yet at the Victoria Drive location, but it will start soon and that’s going to be an interesting process for us.”
The old location – a maze of tight aisles, uneven floors and low ceilings – had its charms, but it couldn’t offer nearly the selection of Bosa’s newer 54,000-sq. ft. flagship location (dubbed the “Italian Costco”) which opened on Kootenay Street in 2006. Bosa has already jumped at the opportunity to expand its services at the 2,750-sq. ft. Commercial Drive store, adding in a prepared foods section as well as a coffee bar with the additional space.
According to MacDonald, the rebuild will be a modernization in not only size and layout, but an upgrade in selection, bringing the legacy Victoria Drive location more in line with the unrivaled offerings of olive oils, cheeses, meats, breads, and sweets at the main hub. MacDonald says there are also plans to build rental apartments above the new store.
But it might be hard to leave the Drive; the night before the store officially opened, shoppers could be seen eagerly peering in the windows, and the reception from the neighbourhood over the past four weeks has been positive.
“The vibe has been really great so far,” says MacDonald. “Foot traffic for the Commercial Drive location has been a welcome surprise, and I think it’s only going to get busier.”
The Drive has always maintained a European-style shopping experience, with more than 20 small grocers and specialty food stores lining the blocks between Venables and 13th. That, MacDonald says, and the fact that it is only a few blocks away from the original location, is what drew Bosa to the bustling thoroughfare.
“We have quite a large clientele that live in the area that walk to the store and frequent the store on an almost daily basis, so we didn’t want to let those customers down,” says MacDonald. “And there is something to be said about the area… People just enjoy coming to the Victoria Drive/Commercial Drive store because it feels more authentic, it feels more Italian, and we wanted to keep that feel as well.”
And while a date for demolition at 562 Victoria Drive has yet to be set, it's a highly anticipated event for the Bosa community.
“I know there are going to be a lot of people who want to witness it coming down,” says MacDonald. “It’s going to be the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.
“We’re really looking forward to staying in the community," he continues, "and maintaining our commitment to this area that we’ve been in for so long. Where we started.”
• Bosa Foods’ is temporarily located at 956 Commercial Drive.
