Returning to downtown Edmonton after 15 years, coffee shop dispels ‘doom and gloom’ surrounding city core
Posted September 30, 2026 2:01 pm.
An Edmonton coffee shop that said farewell to the city’s downtown core is coming back.
Fifteen years after shutting its doors, Tesoro Caffè Bar – once a staple of the now-named Wîhkwêntôwin neighbourhood – is making a comeback on Jasper Avenue.
Owner Franco Maione tells CityNews he hopes the café will bring more vibrancy to the Edmonton core.
“Obviously, our goal, we’re gonna serve a great product every time,” Maione said. “That goes without saying, in our minds. But when it comes to the hospitality, which is how the customer actually feels while they’re here and once they leave, that’s what our goal is.”
Being in the real estate industry for 14 years, Maione saw Tesoro as an opportunity that aligns well with what he’s currently doing.
“I’ve done a tremendous amount of business in the downtown area,” he said. “I recognize the developments that are residential developments that are in plans to be constructed. A lot of density coming to downtown.
“I know there’s been a lot of doom and gloom in the area as of late. But I’m more of an opportunistic person, and I just see the future potential more long term for what downtown is gonna bring.”
This comes after a wave of business closures in the Edmonton core, in part due to construction, parking and safety.
But the Edmonton Downtown Business Association says investments are happening downtown.
“We hear a lot about the factors that push people out of downtown, things like safety and construction,” said James Robinson, the association’s executive director. “At the same time, there’s another story that’s not being told, and that’s of businesses opening here.
“And so there’s a tremendous amount of activity happening in downtown, everything from concerts to events, but also a sizable workforce here. And so with the opening of Tesoro, this is really kind of welcoming back a workforce to downtown.”
The owner of a nearby barbershop tells CityNews while construction and parking can be a struggle, being downtown has a lot to offer.
“There is lots of opportunities to grow, starting downtown,” said Ahmed Alhalwani, the owner of Mr. Barber. “Our first location when we started the barbershop business, it was downtown. Now we’re at five. So that tells you something.”
