As the line forms for hot veal sandwiches and sausages, cappuccinos are being poured as cream-filled pastries are gently placed into boxes.
It's all part of the hustle and bustle of Corso Italia's Tre Mari Bakery, which will celebrate 50 years on St. Clair Avenue all day Saturday, Sept. 11. What started out as Imperial Grocery and Meat Market in 1956 turned into an unassuming bakery at 1131 St. Clair Ave. West four years later, which is still owned by Jim and Mary Deleo and is family-run. After a cousin, who was a baker, came to Toronto from Italy, he and Jim opened the grocery store and then expanded to include a bakery. After the relative moved back to Calabria, Jim closed the grocery and focused his energy on Tre Mari Bakery, named after the Adriatic, the Tiranian and the Ionio seas that surround Italy. "In the beginning we sold coffee, chocolates and bonbonniere," Mary said. "There weren't too many bakeries around then and we were doing very well. Then we started to get bigger and bigger."Tre Mari Bakery eventually expanded to include an assortment of coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino, pastries, gelato, salads, pizza, sandwiches and pasta, offered seven days a week in a cafe style setting. "We treat customers with the same respect we treat our family," Mary said of her business' success. "And they feel it. We treat them on equal ground. It has a lot to do with the smile we offer when they walk in the door."The Deleos' daughter-in-law, AnnaMarie, is a manager of the bakery, along with several other family members. "We do catering now," she said. "We want to keep the old way of doing things, but updated old. We still want to provide wholesome Italian cooking. People respect Mr. and Mrs. Deleo because they consider everyone family. They love their customers so much."Tre Mari Bakery's 50th anniversary celebration will include free cake slices, balloons, a clown, music and prizes. Proceeds from barbecued sausage sales will go to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.