A new Spanish specialty food store called Lola & Miguel is opening next week in the old Pender Grocery location at 345 West Pender Street (the 600 sqft space next to Finch’s with the recently discovered 110 year old Ghost Sign that reads “Business Office of the Daily World”).

It’s the same owners as before, Kelly and Shawn Pisio. The pair, who share a love of all things Spanish (they were even married in Spain), consistently found that Pender Grocery’s best sellers were the Spanish conservas, which they imported through their other company Txotx Imports, so they decided to double down. They paired up with Toronto’s Serrano Imports and online operation Lola & Miguel to turn the space into a veritable feast of Spanish products. We’re talking proper Bomba rice, espelette, all the amazing hams (Serrano, Iberico and Iberico de Bellota), Vermouth wine vinegars, dried chorizo, Vinaigrette de Jerez, Marcona almonds, plenty of olives, traditional kitchen tools, ceramics and much more.

This is good news for local Spaniards, and great for those home cooks who like to dabble in Iberian ways, but it’s especially great for supply-starved Spanish-themed restaurants, like the upcoming Como on Main Street, which couldn’t open soon enough! Though the photos above and below make it look like it’s open they still have a ways to go before they launch as they are still waiting on a bunch of stock. Expect Lola & Miguel to launch next Tuesday (May 29th). That being said, the tiny space is fronted with big windows, so the impatient can take good looks at their leisure.

Lola & Miguel

Neighbourhood: Downtown

345 W Pender St.

604-761-9131

WEBSITE