Marcus Purtzki says Edmonton's newest Made by Marcus location, set to open in Strathcona this spring, could be the ice cream empire's most successful to date.
"I'm actually very, very excited for this shop. I think it could be our highest grossing shop," Purtzki, the titular owner of Made by Marcus, told Taproot. "I do think there's something very community-esque about it."
Purtzki opened the first Made by Marcus in 2016 in Calgary. Since then, the artisan creamery has grown to six locations, with Strathcona's set to be the seventh. Made by Marcus's first Edmonton store was in an alley off of Whyte Avenue, near 104 Street, and opened in 2019; the second opened in 2021 in the same historic building as Wilfred's (which Purtzki has since purchased) in the Brewery District. The latest, which Purtzki calls the Mill Creek location, is set to open at 9853 89 Avenue NW as early as late May but will "probably" open in the first week of June, he said.
His high hopes for the newest Edmonton shop are tied to the building itself. Its house-like appearance lends a sense of warmth, he said, and it has ample seating. In the back, there's also more workspace compared to the other Edmonton locations. Purtzki said that means he'll be able to increase production, and staff will be able to host ice-cream-making workshops in Edmonton for the first time, though not until the slow season for scoop service starts in October.
In Calgary, "We've sold out almost every ice cream workshop we've done in the last three years," he said. "It's been, like, 200 workshops. We really want to bring that Edmonton."
Purtzki will also experiment with a new concept in the back area of the Mill Creek location — Lil' Willy's. The pop-up will be in the space to serve waffle-based desserts and coffee. Lil' Willy's began inside Wilfred's in February, shortly after the latter suspended evening service.
He said the service reduction occurred because Wilfred's and Made by Marcus share seating. "It became really hard to run the two brands in the evening, because there wasn't much room for the Wilfred's customers to come in."
The owner of Made by Marcus is betting big on his shop's forthcoming location. Expected to open in early June, the shop has space where Made by Marcus will run pop-ups of its Lil' Willy's waffle concept and offer ice cream-making workshops in the cooler months. (Supplied)
The Made by Marcus shop in Mill Creek is just 1.5 kilometres from the company's Whyte Avenue location, making it a relatively short trip by bike, bus, or even to walk. Purtzki said he is not worried the new shop will eat into the business of the more established one, because the two locations cater to "completely different demographics." Mill Creek is convenient for locals and University of Alberta students, especially ones who use the southeast side of campus, as well as families and those who drive, who might find the location appealing because of its proximity to 99 Street and Saskatchewan Drive. The Whyte Avenue location, Purtzki said, has fewer seats, and less parking (though parking options are plentiful along Whyte), and the overall bustle of the street attracts a destination crowd looking for a day of activity. "What I've heard is people that live in Mill Creek don't want to go close to Whyte," Purtzki said. "For them to park, it's just a little bit too much, especially for families … I felt that we were really missing a family ice cream shop."
The new Made by Marcus is next to a 24-spot parking lot for patrons, which it shares with Frank's Community Pub and Porch Light Books. Directly across that avenue is one of the newest outposts of The Colombian, a café that plans to open even more locations.
Changes are afoot near another one of Purtzki's strongholds, too. Below Made by Marcus and Wilfred's in the Brewery District, Next of Kin, a cocktail-forward bar by Hoot Company's creative director, Ben Staley, opened this year. Next door, Nero, a venture from the owners of Rosso and Bianco, is set to open soon.
"I'm hoping that will create a little bit more nightlife in that corner," Purtzki said of Next of Kin and Nero. "A lot of those people going out for some food will likely go out for some ice cream right after."