Edmonton's Italian Bakery location closes after more than 60 years

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The Italian Bakery on 97 Street shut its doors on Monday after more than 60 years of business in central Edmonton.

“There’s just been so many changes downtown in the last four to six years. We did give it an honest run, though,” said the bakery’s co-owner, Rosaly DeVenz.

Started in 1960 by DeVenz’s parents, Antonio Frattin and Aurora Frattin, the Italian Bakery began on 93 Street but came to life when it moved to 10644 97 St. just two years later. As the shop empties out, the vacant space leaves a hole in the fabric of the community. While residents of the area mourn the loss of the business, none feel the totality of its closing like DeVenz, whose professional and family life revolved around the location.

“That was our home where we grew up,” DeVenz said.

While the closure is an emotional loss, DeVenz takes solace in the fact that the Italian Bakery’s Beverly location at 4118 118 Ave. remains open. Reflecting on what the 97 Street location did for the business, she said that it was the neighbourhood and surrounding community that made the business and, ultimately, it is now changes to the neighbourhood that are forcing them out.

“It’s just become a lot more homelessness happening, just the way the economy is, and everything. And COVID absolutely hit a bunch of people, and now there’s less foot traffic,” DeVenz said.

“It’s just really tough, and it just seems like there’s not enough support in the neighbourhood.”

Having grown up above the shop, and operated the business for many years, DeVenz is familiar with the community in the area. She recalled it being “a little bit rougher, but not so bad.” But as the bakery closes up shop, DeVenz can’t recall a time when the neighbourhood was as bad as it is now, and said it was affecting her customers for some time.

“I’ve had people call and ask if we’ll walk them in when they park there,” she said.

A staff member or security guard would frequently walk customers to and from their cars. But recently, those who didn’t call for an escort lwere victimized.

“One lady, just a few weeks ago, she was walking out to her car, just crossing the alley from our building. Somebody came by and stole the bread right out of her hand.”

DeVenz was quick to acknowledge the struggles that the homeless population in the area face, saying the neighbourhood needs support “helping humans live properly.”

“I did grow up in that neighborhood, and I know 90 per cent of the people that are on the streets. They’re not bad people,” she said.

Although DeVenz may understand the circumstances of the area, the bakery’s customers are perhaps less understanding. Many of them simply stopped coming for fear of any risk.

Despite the troubles in the area and its effect on business, the decision to leave was still difficult for DeVenz, partially due to her parent’s devotion to the neighbourhood which played a vital role in the success of the bakery.

“That was our location that created the Italian Bakery and made it what it is. That was basically the founding location. Maybe we were in a tiny little house before that, but, yeah, that location was a gold mine,” DeVenz said.

Everything was different then, she said. Downtown was booming, Jasper Avenue was the place to be, and people still drove everywhere, many using 97 Street as a main artery into the heart of the city. But DeVenz acknowledged the city has grown and people don’t tend to go to the downtown areas like they once did.

“I feel a huge sense of like I let my parents down, like we weren’t able to make it in that neighbourhood anymore, and they really wanted us to be in that neighbourhood but my hands are tied.”

Both bakery locations had fires in the past 10 years that proved challenging for the business to overcome. When the Beverly fire happened in 2016, DeVenz said it was hard but they were comforted by the fact that it was just a business and not their home. They could rebuild, which they did and included a renovation.

When a separate fire hit the 97 Street location in 2020, DeVenz said it was different. Her parents were sleeping in the space above, and the blaze nearly killed them. She said the experience made them both sick and they never fully recovered from it, which was “tough” on DeVenz and her family. Still, her parents insisted on rebuilding on 97 Street.

“They wanted to rebuild in that community. So we did, and we really tried. We thought, you make a bigger building, or you make it really pretty, people will come, it will revitalize the neighbourhood,” said DeVenz.

Their efforts didn’t have the intended effect.

Even with the challenge of an underperforming location, DeVenz said the bakery could still operate at another location.

“If I could pick up that building and put it pretty much anywhere else in the city, it would be completely successful.”

DeVenz will instead have to part with the space, which means selling or leasing the property.