THUNDER BAY – Facing a smaller pond for independent and specialty grocers, Maltese Grocery is becoming a bigger fish.
The Maltese family has begun a $1.5-million expansion that will double the grocery store’s 3,000 square footage when it’s complete.
“A lot of the products we sell, you only see about two thirds of it,” said owner David Maltese.
“We really don’t have any room. We’re packed in here sideways and backwards. We want to keep it current and really, we really haven’t done anything substantial to the store in about 25 years.”
The renovation will expand the store’s grocery area and retail space as it adds 24 feet to the deli’s 28-foot meat counter.
The Malteses have strengthened the meat end of their business through supply deals with local restaurants but their base remains their in-store customer experience. They have spent two years designing the project to ensure the atmosphere of the specialty shop is maintained.
“We don’t want to lose the feel of our store,” Maltese explained.
“We want it to still have a small store feel. We’ve spent a lot of time planning it that way so it’s going to be the same as what it is. It’s just going to be a lot bigger.”
Construction is expected to wrap up in September and the family intends to close its operations for two weeks following Thanksgiving to establish congruence between the store's existing and new segments.
Maltese sees expanding his family’s business as a commitment to Thunder Bay.
“To us, our store is almost like a landmark,” he said.
“You see a lot of the independents disappearing. It has been the way it’s going. We need to go just a little bit bigger to have added room to produce our products and give our customers a better shopping experience.”
