Food Roundup
June 30, 2026

Openings

• Ayco Cafe's new location is now open at 14213 103 Avenue NW.
• The Penny pop-up is now open on Wednesdays from 3-8pm on the rooftop of the Pendennis Building, at 9660 Jasper Avenue NW.
• Mochi donut purveyor Mochido relocated from Vancouver to Edmonton and is now open in North Town Centre inside T&T Supermarket, at 9450 137 Avenue NW.
• Shooby's Gelato is now open at 4513 101 Street NW.
• Fried chicken chain Ophabie is now open in Edmonton, at 937 Parsons Road SW.
• The Provincial Bar and Lounge will re-open on July 2 at 4211 106 Street NW.
• Sip Soda will open a new location on Whyte Avenue in early August.
• The Bro'Kin Yolk will be opening a location in Sherwood Park this fall.
• A new Real Canadian Superstore is coming to the Riverview community in southwest Edmonton, with construction expected to begin this year and the store slated to open in the latter half of 2027.

Closings

• Odd Burger has announced the permanent closure of its Ellerslie location, its last in the Edmonton region.

Headlines

• El Cafesito by MexiCánada at 8111 102 Street NW pairs handmade food and leather goods. Miryam Muñoz leads the culinary offerings, while her husband Tyler Visser is behind Nuckbuk Leather Goods. "It is a representation of the family we have built and what it has given both of us," Muñoz told Edify.
• Explore Edmonton, North Central Co-op, Sea Change Brewing Co., and KDays have partnered to create Lime Crush, a limited-edition Alberta craft beer with bright lime notes, available at North Central Co-op Liquor Stores, the Sea Change taproom, and throughout the KDays festival grounds.
• JACEK Chocolate Couture has launched its Festival City collection, a limited-edition line of chocolates inspired by Edmonton's summer festival season.
• The team behind Waffle Bird is looking for a new operator for Woahnuts, a waffle-doughnut business that they haven't been able to focus on. They are offering recipes, production space, and mentorship to the right candidate in exchange for a portion of future sales. Waffle Bird's restaurant at 10347 80 Avenue NW is also home to Twist & Taste.
• Okie Dokie Smokies, located on Calgary Trail next to High Dough, is making a name with gourmet hot dogs built on house-made sausages crafted by owner Jarrett Gauthier. The spot has collaborated with local restaurants such as Little Wolf, Farrow, OTTO Food & Drink, and Boxer.
• CBC's Edmonton AM explored the history of the hot dog with Converse and Cook co-owner Juanita Gnanapragasam, who found references to an early cousin of the hot dog as far back as Homer's Odyssey.
• Gummy Nutrition Lab has grown from a Launch Party 15 startup concept to a company with its own manufacturing facility, Walmart Canada shelf placement, and a 2026 ScaleUP Awards finalist nod, as highlighted in Edmonton Unlimited's Launch Party alumni series.
• Fourteen months after a suspected arson fire destroyed 25 businesses at Plaza 34 — a hub for Edmonton's South Asian community on 34 Avenue — no arrests have been made, and the rebuild is still incomplete. Operators from Bombay Spices, which has stayed at Plaza 34, and Spice Centre, which has moved nearby, described the myriad challenges they've faced with CBC Edmonton's Radio Active. Riaz Khan of Chutney, who is moving his restaurant elsewhere, reflected on how food reviewer Ramneek Singh helped his restaurant survive by promoting its butter chicken online and raising money to support the restaurant after the fire. "He's my guardian angel," Khan said.
• Rain has been dampening Edmonton's food truck business this summer. Kona Ice operator Sal Maredia told Global News that sales plummet for his cold treats on cold and rainy days. Meanwhile, Crystal Reid of Firewheel Fusion Kitchen said it's no picnic for hot-food vendors either, noting food waste costs and low return on investment for markets.
• Kaelin Whittaker of Awn Kitchen shared a recipe for rhubarb pastry confections with The Tomato.
• Edify shared camping cuisine tips from Troy Lymburner, a culinary arts instructor at NAIT. He advises waiting for a campfire to die into coals before cooking to avoid sooty char, and recommends pre-cutting and marinating meat at home.
• Edify's summer steak series features the skirt steak, with NAIT meat-cutting instructor Chris Bradshaw, who recommends marinating for 24 to 48 hours and slicing thin against the grain for the best results.
• Edmonton's Food Bank has launched a summer campaign to mark its 45th anniversary, with EPCOR matching the first $45,000 in donations. The food bank is currently seeing its highest sustained demand, averaging 43,800 monthly users — more than double the amount from 30 years ago.
• The Alberta NDP introduced its Alberta Affordability Agenda, which proposes creating an independent grocery price watchdog, banning anti-competition covenants that restrict where new grocery stores can open, and requiring labels on products that shrink in size without a price change. "Ultimately, we need more systemic answers to this," party leader Naheed Nenshi told reporters on June 23. "We are able to do these things that have been proven in other jurisdictions to actually work."
• The Alberta government ordered a rollback of minimum alcohol prices in bars and restaurants, directing Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis to immediately reverse the hike, which had raised the minimum pint price from $3.20 to $5. Minimum prices haven't been raised since 2008.
• Edmonton Centre MP Eleanor Olszewski, the minister responsible for emergency management and community resilience, visited the University of Alberta on June 24 to highlight the launch of the National Food Security Strategy, which aims to put Canada more in control of its own food system. The strategy's objectives are to spur grocery store competition, boost domestic food production, grow fruits and vegetables year-round, and decrease regulation in the agricultural supply chain.
• Restaurant associations from four provinces are calling on an Ontario court to require the buyer of XTM's collapsed EveryDay Payments platform to contribute to a recovery pool for affected operators, who are collectively owed a trust deficit of $18.75 million. XTM's Edmonton-based subsidiary was used by service industry businesses to manage staff tips and wages.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:

• June 30: The Public Farmers Market starting at 3:30pm at Ritchie Community Hall
• July 2: 124 Grand Market: Thursdays at 108 starting at 4pm at 124 Grand Market
• July 2: Fort Saskatchewan Farmers' Market starting at 4pm at Legacy Park
• July 3: Made in Edmonton: Celebrating 45 Years with the Green Onion Cake Man at Green Onion Cake Man
• July 3: Bikes & Beverages x Grow Together YEG starting at 5pm at The Buckingham Pub
• July 4: Mothers Nutrition Workshop starting at 2pm at Sisters Dialogue - Amanah
• July 4: Summer Block Party starting at 4pm at Rice Howard Way
• July 5: Masterclass Series: The Art of Fish starting at 11am at JW Marriott (Edmonton ICE District)
• July 6: The Orchards Farmers' Market starting at 3:30pm at 4059 Orchards Drive SW

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• July 11: Edmonton Jerk Festival at Queen Mary Park Community Hall
• July 16-26: Taste of Edmonton at Churchill Square
• July 18: Zoobrew Vol. 2 at Edmonton Valley Zoo

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.