Food Notes for June 1, 2026

As founders exit, new owners seek to keep food faves growing

What does it take to keep an Edmonton food institution not only alive but thriving? The owners of Brio Bakery seem to have found the recipe, and the founders of Jack’s Burger Shack hope their successors do, too.

Almost three years after acquiring Brio’s Wîhkwêntôwin location in August of 2023, Milos Cvijanovic and Mateja Jelecebic have opened a second bakery on Whyte Avenue. Expansion wasn’t in their immediate plans, but they got an offer they couldn’t refuse. Longtime fans Paul Blais and Shawna Lindberg from the Blais Realty Group had purchased a building at 9614 82 Avenue NW and wanted Brio to be a part of the space.

The Mill Creek location opened at the end of April, and it has received a positive reception so far. “Lots of regulars are happy they don’t have to cross the river anymore,” Cvijanovic said. “But there are also a lot of new faces. Many people heard about us and now have the chance to come.”

Brio was founded by Todd Barraclough and his wife Sian, who transitioned from being farmers’ market vendors to running a storefront bakery in 2019. Cvijanovic said Todd loved baking bread but did not enjoy running the business itself. “They saw a few people who inquired about the business, and I guess we were a good fit,” Cvijanovic said.

Buying an already operating business appealed to Cvijanovic, who had done the same in 2015 with a catering company called The Second Chef. That business’s vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted him and his wife to diversify, and Brio’s existing fandom was attractive.

“The idea behind owning an existing brand is there is no startup cost of building it from scratch, especially one like Brio with an established clientele,” Cvijanovic said. “You need less capital to start something, but you would need to promote it to bring it to where you want it to be.”

When Brio first changed hands, some regulars were concerned. “Customers were scared of new owners,” Cvijanovic said. “They were worried about nothing being the same. But then they said, ‘You guys are doing the exact same thing.'”

Milos Cvijanovic of Brio Bakery

Tu Le is hoping for a similarly smooth transition with Jack’s Burger Shack. He’s confident in what the restaurant he started with his brother Ninh has to offer, and he still strongly believes in the Edmonton market.

“Someone could take it to the next level,” Le said. “I see what’s happening in the city right now. If it was 10 years ago, if I was 10 years younger, we would have four more Jack’s. I believe that Edmonton could be a food destination. There is untapped potential here.”

In December, the Le brothers listed the Edmonton and St. Albert locations for sale. After 13 years, Tu is ready to move on so he can spend more time with his family.

“Running a restaurant day to day, it takes every ounce of me,” he said. “I’m here first thing in the morning. I leave while my wife and daughter are eating breakfast, and come back to kiss my kid goodnight. I don’t have anything left for my family at the end of the day.”

Although the business is named after Ninh’s eldest son, the brothers did not want to force their children into the restaurant industry. But Tu emphasized that Jack’s is still performing on an upward trajectory, and it is a great opportunity for the right successor.

“We’ve grown year over year for the last 13 years,” Le said. “That’s why we’re asking so much for the restaurant. If you look at the numbers, you could make the money back in three years. We’ve been very successful and have been lucky to be embraced by the community. When I walk downtown (in Edmonton) and in St. Albert, I see lots of restaurants closing. We haven’t been affected by outside factors.”

Le knows that selling Jack’s means ceding full control to a new owner, but “it would be in their best interest to follow our formula,” he said. “It works.”

Le strongly believes one of the reasons behind the ongoing success of Jack’s is its staff, which he hopes a new owner will retain. “It’s not Tu’s Burger Shack,” Le said. “My employees from Day 1 are as much a part of the business as I am. They run this place while I’m on vacation.”

Tu Le of Jack’s Burger Shack

The beef used at Jack’s for the burgers, sourced from Lakeside Farmstead in Sturgeon County, has also set it apart from competitors.

“We’ve been using Jeff Nonay’s beef for as long as I can remember,” Le said of the family-owned farm. “The quality is so good. Selling the new buyer on that is my job. If you started buying Cargill beef, I would have no control over it, but customers would notice. It’s not worth it.”

When Cvijanovic and his wife took over Brio, they had to decide what to keep and what to change. They have mostly maintained Brio’s bread recipes. “There are formulas for bread that you have to follow,” Cvijanovic laughed.

Brio’s pastry menu, however, has changed significantly. In 2025, Cvijanovic and Jelecebic brought in a pastry chef from New York to consult with the team for one week. This led to improvements to their laminated pastries, such as croissants and pain au chocolat.

“The whole business needed a fresh set of eyes,” Cvijanovic said. “We brought freshness and different ideas into the business.”

The couple also introduced new items to the menu, such as opera cake, matcha rolls, and choux pastry. Cvijanovic credits these additions to the staff, most of whom remained after the business changed hands.

“We have staff who have worked in France, Morocco, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Eastern Europe,” he said. “People bring their own little piece, and we incorporate it into production.”

Openings

• The long-awaited brunch and lunch spot Solar, from the folks behind Cask and Barrel and Rocky Mountain Icehouse, is now open. Find it at 10357 Jasper Avenue NW.
• Shree Restaurant has opened its third location in Edmonton. It is located downtown in Edmonton City Centre Mall.
• Chain King Burrito has opened a location in Edmonton City Centre Mall.
• Ramona’s Pizza has two locations in Grande Prairie, and just expanded to St. Albert. Find it at 420, 1115 St. Albert Trail.
• Marshy Mallows, offering gourmet marshmallows and s’mores, is now open at #106, 8115 Gateway Boulevard.
• Mini pancake purveyor Moons will be opening soon in West Edmonton Mall.
• International chain 6ixtywings opened its first location in Alberta in Sherwood Park, 590 Baseline Road, Unit 290. It looks like a second location is coming soon in west Edmonton.
• Chipotle has also opened a location in Sherwood Park, 7000 Emerald Drive, Suite 600.

Closures

• YEG Smoked Meats will be closing on June 27. I will be sad to see them go – their pepperoni and sausage have become family favourites. Wishing them the best in retirement!
• Chai Coffee Day closed on May 30, bested by the surrounding construction.
• The Edmonton location of Little Kitchen Academy closed on May 20.

Upcoming Events

• Heart of the City Festival returns to Giovanni Caboto Park on June 6, and will include free Caribbean cuisine and bannock.

Local News

• Jesus Gonzalez, the founder of Paraiso Tropical Latin Market, has passed away.
• Little BonBon in Chinatown will be re-opening for the summer on June 6.
• Moon Cafe & Pizza (which took over the former space of Swiss2Go), is rebranding to Buon Appetito Pizzeria.
• You know I love a good collaboration: Flirt Cupcakes and Yelo’d worked to create an ube ice cream with birthday cake chunks mixed in.
• Edify highlighted Gathr Cafe & Lounge, and a round-up of the Happy Beer Street breweries.
• Erika Eats Everything reviewed ch.Cafeteria.
• Chicago-based rapper Blvck Svm returned to Edmonton after filming a music video at RGE RD in 2024. He spoke to Edmonton AM about the inspiration.
• The Strathcona County Food Bank is seeking donations for their birthday bags, which include cake mix and icing. The requests for the bags have increased to 8-10 per week.

What I Ate

• A friend and I had dinner at Mexican restaurant Juana Ines. The meal had great bookends – I enjoyed the margarita and we both would return for the delectable tres leches cake. The mole enchiladas were okay, but the chicken did really need the sauce.

Margherita from Juana Ines

• I picked up a salad from KB & Co. before a volunteer shift at the Where We Came From Exhibit, by Chung Ta Cung Nhau (there are only a few more dates to check it out). Even a few years ago, it was inconceivable to me that I would ever crave a salad…but here we are.

Sweet citrus greens from KB &Co.

• Emily and I had a blast returning to volunteer for the Edmonton International Cat Fest, and continuing our tradition of enjoying our Butta La Pasta during our shift.

Butta La Pasta from Takam Market