Our Story
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TO US, FOOD IS EVERYTHING
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When Victor and Cathy Caracciolo emigrated from Southern Italy in 1961, she found work as a seamstress and he as a bartender. After years of hard work and dedicated saving they opened the Italian Centre Shop, a grocery store in Bridgeland that would become the heart of the community for 30 years.
In 2005, encouraged by their son Dominic, Cathy and Victor moved their grocery to the heart of the city. Before long Mercato Mission would soon add a full-service restaurant, instantly transforming the culinary scene on Calgary’s 4th street.
Hard work, fierce passion and unmatched quality is what’s set Mercato apart for 46 years. When Victor passed in 2017, Calgary lost a culinary and cultural icon. But you can still find Mamma Cathy in the kitchen at Mercato almost every day, preparing fresh meals for the extended family of customers she loves.
Victor, Mamma Cathy and Dominic
Victor and Mamma Cathy
Victor Caracciolo — 1937-2017