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OBJ.social is supported by the generous patronage of Mark Motors, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties and the National Arts Centre. STORIES AND PHOTOS BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS
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Welcoming Mercato Zacconi You know you’re in Little Italy when someone in the crowd starts randomly belting out O Sole Mio during the soft opening party for a brand new food hall on Preston Street. The guy was no Pavarotti but his singing — even if it got drowned out by a roomful of chatter — made for a nice moment inside Mercato Zacconi Fresh Foods, where hordes of double-vaccinated guests met for an evening of bubbly, wine and Venetian snack-style cicchetti. Until recently, the 5,000-square-foot store was part of a larger banquet room at Sala San Marco Event & Conference Centre. Owner Tony Zacconi came to the realization in 2020 that the neighbourhood needed access to groceries more than it needed a massive special events venue,
WINTER 2022
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especially as the COVID-19 pandemic saw public gatherings fall by the wayside. He embarked on a renovation project that turned a sizeable chunk of Sala San Marco into Mercato Zacconi Fresh Foods, an Italian market, bistro and social house. The new business officially opened in December. “I feel like a mom when she finally gives birth and is, like, ‘Ah, I’m glad it’s out’ and super happy at the same time,” Zacconi said during at interview at the store, right next to the giant wheel of imported Parmigiano Reggiano. The pandemic made things challenging in many ways, said Zacconi. First, there was the process of hiring staff. He’s still hiring, by the way. Then there were delays in the arrival of
