Published February 2020

After nearly 30 years in downtown Calgary, Sunterra Market is getting a facelift. Well more than a facelift really, it’s essentially a brand new market.

“It’s not just a renovation, it’s an entire replacement, rejuvenation and redesign,” says Sunterra Market President Glen Price. “We’ve had to remove virtually everything that was there, and we didn’t cut any corners – we’ve gone all out to come up with a fantastic, expanded space.”

The new Sunterra Market & Café will be about double the size of the original space that Glen and his family first opened in 1990. And all that extra space means more options for customers. Favourites like the European-style big pans and bakery will still be there, says Glen, but they’re introducing some exciting new ideas and products and expanding on other core offerings.

The new salad bar, for example, will be considerably larger than before and include stations for hot cooked meats to add on. Pizzas will be made in a new forno pizza oven from Italy that cooks a pie in under two minutes! The coffee bar will feature handcrafted Lavazza espresso-based drinks in addition to drip coffee and Genuine Tea products. Chefs will also be making pasta from scratch using a few simple ingredients. And Bankers Hall customers will now be able to enjoy rotisserie meats and piadina thin crust sandwiches which are currently only available at the Kensington Road location in Calgary. 

The redesigned market will also include more seating for customers who want to enjoy their meal in the market, and even wine and beer once the space is licensed. Natural light coming from the glass windows onto Ninth Avenue will create a nice atmosphere for diners, says Glen. But the market will still focus on takeout offerings for busy customers, including hot breakfasts, lunches and dinners as well as cooked and cooled grab ‘n’ go meals ready to be reheated at home and a selection of marinated meats and dinner essentials for those who want to cook. Like all Sunterra Market locations, customers can also order groceries online and pick them up at Sunterra Market & Café, Bankers Hall at no extra charge. 

It’s a new design for the company says Glen, who admits that it’s been challenging in the past to handle the popularity of the market at different times in the day.

“Now we’ve created this larger space that will be really functional at every point in the day,” he says. “But the heart of the concept of course is our product and our people and the atmosphere that both of those things deliver to our customers day in and day out.”

Glen gives all the credit for Sunterra’s success over the past 30 years to the team, but he also notes how grateful he is for the loyal customers, some of whom have been patrons for decades.

“I appreciate their support and patience,” Glen says. “We know occupancy in downtown Calgary isn’t what it was in the past but we still feel that Calgary is vibrant and viable and at the end of the day it’s about making sure the customers are taken care of and that they’re excited about the products they’re getting and the interaction they have with our team members.”  

Sunterra Market & Café, Bankers Hall will open to the public on Tuesday, February 11 at 6:30 a.m. The market is located on the +15 level, 855 2 Street S.W. Calgary.