New grocery store to open in East Windsor on Thursday

A brand new grocery store is set to open this week in East Windsor.

Mercato Fresh will open its first Windsor location this Thursday at 3235 Banwell Rd., not far from the EC Row Expressway along the city border with Tecumseh.

This will be just the second location for Mercato Fresh, which opened its first market in Chatham-Kent in early 2020.

Co-owner Marc Romualdi believes they offer a shopping experience that others haven't seen before.

"It's basically old time value. It's an old time market and filled with people that are passionate and knowledgeable. You're not going to walk down the aisle and not be able to talk to any one our employees, there's going to be lots of friendly employees on staff. If they don't know the answer, they'll find somebody who has the answer," he says.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in mid-January for the Windsor location, a 15,925 square foot site that's on a five acre property as part of a commercial development.

The grocery store will offer niche items and speciality products, including their own meats, breads, a gluten-free line, their own olive oils and coffee. 

Romualdi says they will have Red Seal chefs on site preparing meals and helping people with their needs.

"I don't think anybody does prepared foods like we do, we bring it to next level. We have hot, ready to go foods, right from our store to your table," he says.

Romualdi says the announcement of the new NextStar EV Battery plant just across the EC Row Expressway on Banwell Road certainly adds to their new location.

"We didn't anticipate the battery plant coming in but we're excited to have them. It's right down the road and there's going to be 2,500 to 3,000 employees, so I'm sure we'll see some on their lunch run," he adds.

The store has hired over 60 people to work at the new Windsor location.

There are plans to open two additional locations in Windsor-Essex, but those plans are still in the works.