Parker: OEB Breakfast Co. opening 20th restaurant in Victoria

Article content material

Whereas learning at culinary faculties, not many cooks would have dreamed their passions would result in cooking breakfasts as their specialty. However Mauro Martina did simply that — and he has been very profitable.

Martina is the founder and chef of OEB Breakfast. Later this month, the 20^th restaurant underneath that title will open in Victoria.

Article content material

Born within the Puglia area of southern Italy, he spent the primary 5 years of his life dwelling together with his grandparents, as his mom and father had relocated to Germany to hunt a greater life. Martina credit his understanding of farm-to-table to spending these early years following his grandmother on her visits to the butcher, fishmonger and greengrocer — and being given treats of a chunk of cheese or a juicy fruit.

Article content material

After becoming a member of his dad and mom in Munich and being schooled there, Martina attended culinary college and started his profession in baking and pastry.

A small sense of journey and a much bigger sense of the necessity to progress had him pondering of life in a brand new nation, and a buddy steered Canada. He says he was a bit of involved about not having the ability to converse English, however was informed: “They’re good individuals and there are many Italians there — you’ll discover a method to get on.”

So, in 1993, Martina took benefit of an inter-company switch to maneuver with Movenpick from Munich to its 18,000-square-foot Toronto flagship restaurant. Being the primary member of his household to depart house — and for the primary time working in entrance of consumers — will need to have been a bit of nerve-racking, however he loved life in Canada.

And though he made various excursions again to Europe — to work in London, extra education in Lyon, France, and as an govt sous chef in Dubai — a recruiting agent in Toronto steered he head west and quiet down for good.

He accepted a place with the Classic Group and relocated to Calgary in 2006, and was quickly chef for the Redwater Grills and Lance Hurtubise’s new ideas.

Article content material

Article content material

However after three years right here he felt the necessity for possession. Developing with a contemporary thought to create an uplifting breakfast expertise with the very most interesting of substances, he opened his first OEB Breakfast in a small location on Edmonton Path. It labored so effectively, with lineups on the door, a second location was opened in 2016 downtown in Fifth Avenue Place — featured on this column exhibiting off the distinctive egg breakfast sales space by Hribar Design Group.

Martina says he was abruptly getting calls from throughout Canada, and though he needed to be assured he wouldn’t must lose management or dilute his model, he seemed into franchising OEB.

As we speak, apart from Calgary operations in downtown, Bridgeland, Mission and College District, there are three in Edmonton and others in Toronto, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Kelowna, B.C., and 5 within the better Vancouver space. And Victoria might be uncovered to good breakfasts on the finish of this month in a busy location on Yates Road.

OEB has a company restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz., and he has signed a brand new partnership in Newport Seaside, Calif.

Martina does get pleasure from management — he says traceability is paramount in his enterprise and he’s always working to safe the easiest of suppliers wherever they could be in Canada.

Article content material

Eggs should be high grade and he buys the very best free-run Omega 3 from Steinbach, Man. OEB cracked greater than 5.3 million final 12 months, and with Martina new websites in Calgary, Regina and at Canadian airports, in addition to in Texas, Nevada, southern California and Colorado, chickens are going to be stored busy laying much more.

Notes:

Áine Keogh has been welcomed again to the board of administrators of the Eire Alberta Commerce Affiliation. A board member whereas primarily based in Calgary, Keogh has returned to Dublin the place she is director and head of sustainability at Grant Thornton, Eire. A twin Irish-Canadian citizen, her educational journey features a bachelor of arts in environmental science, a bachelor of science in sustainable improvement in Eire, and her MBA from the College of Calgary. Keogh’s dedication to strengthening the ties between Alberta and Eire is extra related than ever, and her presence reinforces the affiliation’s dedication to bilateral collaboration and development.

David Parker seems commonly within the Herald. Learn his columns on-line at calgaryherald.com/enterprise. He might be reached at 403-830-4622 or by e mail at information@davidparker.ca

Article content material