Draft:Mario's Food Centre
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Comment: In preparing this draft, I disclose that AI assistance was used as follows: I used Meta AI to help rewrite my draft to fix unreliable sources. I replaced Facebook/Instagram/Cylex with reliable sources: Edible Ottawa magazine, Vanier BIA official website, and Ottawa Citizen. I disclosed conflict of interest as owner Filipe Correia. ~2026-52390-48 (talk) 16:36, 29 September 2026 (UTC)
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| Type | Specialty grocery store |
|---|---|
| Industry | Portuguese, Brazilian and European foods |
| Founded | 1961 (delivery), 1964 (storefront at 381 McArthur Ave) |
| Founder | Francisco and Natalia Martinho and Mario Marques |
| Headquarters | 381 McArthur Avenue, Vanier, Ottawa, ON K1L 6N5, Canada |
| Owner | Filipe Correia |
| Website | mariosfoodcentre |
Mario's Food Centre is a Portuguese, Brazilian and European specialty grocery store at 381 McArthur Avenue in Vanier, Ottawa. Established as a delivery business in 1961 and operating from its current location since 1964, it is one of the oldest Portuguese grocery stores in Ottawa.
History
[edit]When Natalia and Francisco Martinho and Mario Marques began selling Portuguese groceries in Ottawa in 1961, they did so door to door. Brothers-in-law Francisco and Mario found a distributor of Portuguese products in Toronto and began bringing them to the capital to fill the void they encountered when looking for groceries from their home country.[1]
By 1964, the family business found its home on McArthur Avenue in Vanier. Mario's Food Centre has been there ever since. For several years, Francisco did radio and TV repairs in the basement of the shop, before moving back to Portugal with Natalia, leaving Mario to run the grocery business himself.[1]
Mario's Food Centre has been a staple in Ottawa's Portuguese community since 1964, offering a wide selection of authentic European foods.[2] The Vanier Business Improvement Area recognized the store for 60 years in business in 2024.[3]
“We are the longest operating Portuguese grocer in Ottawa and Gatineau,” says Filipe “Fil” Correia, nephew of the shop's founders and the current owner and operator. Correia began helping his uncle at the shop on weekends when he was 12 years old, making a dollar an hour in 1980.[1] He continued to pick up shifts through high school and college and later worked evenings at the store when he started his career at the Canada Revenue Agency.[1]
In 2001, Mario passed away at 62, just as he was beginning to think about his retirement. Correia says he always planned to take over running the store eventually, but didn't anticipate the transition would come so early.[1] When he took over Mario's Food Centre, Correia wanted to bring the focus back to Portuguese products after it had become more of a convenience store. He eliminated the more generic corner store items and began bringing in Brazilian products as well to serve the growing Brazilian community in the region.[1]
Other businesses at same address
[edit]Mario's Food Centre is also home to Correia's passion project, The Final Stop, through which Correia has been selling comics, cards and other collectibles since 1990.[1]
Products
[edit]The store features high-quality fish, meats, cheeses, canned goods, and beverages, including imported Portuguese products.[2] It stocks salt cod, frozen sardines, and other specialty items, including fresh cheese.[4]
Mario's Food Centre sells fresh Portuguese pastries as well as frozen pastel de nata, the famous Portuguese custard tarts, to bake at home. There is salt cod and freezers full of cuttlefish, octopus, shrimp, chouriço sausages and beef for feijoada stews.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "A Taste of Portugal". Edible Ottawa.
When Natalia and Francisco Martinho and Mario Marques began selling Portuguese groceries in Ottawa in 1961, they did so door to door. Brothers-in-law Francisco and Mario found a distributor of Portuguese products in Toronto and began bringing them to the capital... By 1964, the family business found its home on McArthur Avenue in Vanier. Mario's Food Centre has been there ever since... "We are the longest operating Portuguese grocer in Ottawa and Gatineau," says Filipe "Fil" Correia, nephew of the shop's founders and the current owner and operator. Correia began helping his uncle at the shop on weekends when he was 12 years old, making a dollar an hour in 1980... In 2001, Mario passed away at 62... Mario's Food Centre is also home to Correia's passion project, The Final Stop, through which Correia has been selling comics, cards and other collectibles since 1990.
- 1 2 "Portuguese Grocery Store Ottawa | Mario's Food Centre - Vanier BIA". Vanier BIA.
Mario's Food Centre has been a staple in Ottawa's Portuguese community since 1964, offering a wide selection of authentic European foods. Specializing in imported Portuguese products, the store features high-quality fish, meats, cheeses, canned goods, and beverages.
- ↑ "And the Award Goes To... - Vanier BIA". Vanier BIA. 2024.
Milestone Recognitions – We also took the opportunity to honour businesses achieving significant anniversaries in 2024: ... Mario's Food Centre (60 years)
- ↑ "Ola! Portugal". Ottawa Citizen. 2006.
Mario's Food Centre, 381 McArthur Ave. – salt cod, frozen sardines, stickleback and squid, sausages, ham and cheese, including fresh cheese every Friday.
External links
[edit]Category:Companies based in Ottawa Category:Companies established in 1961
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