Strong turnout at Mercato job fair - store opens May 8

The new Mercato Fresh grocery store is scheduled to open May 8.

The town’s newest grocery store opens its doors May 8 and a large number of people attended its recent job fair.

Mercato Fresh co-owner Jonathan Reaume estimated at least 300 people attended the job fair in late April at the Libro Centre. 

The store is looking to fill approximately 40 positions in various departments, with Reaume estimating 80 per cent of them will be full-time.

“It’s a very good turnout,” he said. “It’s typical for when we run a job fair. The lineup was all the way outside the building. It’s great. I think we’ll satisfy just about every position we need for the store.”

Reaume and partner Marc Romualdi are prioritizing Amherstburg residents when making their hires, Reaume noted. He said they want to showcase a “hometown family business vibe” and that he was amazed by how many people told him and other management staff on hand that they were brought up in Amherstburg.

“I love the fact Amherstburg supports local as much as they do,” said Reaume. “You see a lot of investment coming in.”

While operating a restaurant on Boblo Island in 2009, Reaume said at that point he wanted to do business in Amherstburg at some point in the future. Stating the town “is really starting to grow,” he said he loves the people here.

“It’s a tight-knit community,” he said. “Everyone knows everybody.”

Having a lineup of people come to the Mercato Fresh job fair makes them feel like the Amherstburg community is embracing the store, he added.

The stores are known for having chefs creating prepared foods, items baked and cooked to order, some of the best sushi in the area, high quality goods and low prices. 

Reaume described them as “an independent, neighbourhood grocery store.”

The new store will be located at 365 Sandwich St. S., across from Canadian Tire. Signage went up on the building last week.

The Amherstburg location will be their fourth store, with Mercato Fresh having locations in Chatham, east Windsor and south Windsor.

Strong turnout at Mercato job fair - store opens May 8

By Ron Giofu