Oakville Bakery Opens With Mediterranean Menu
Olivette, a new patisserie in Oakville, serves shakshuka, Italian Rotondi, and French pastries, with owners saying demand has already exceeded projections.
By Bianca Shevchenko ·
Oakville has long drawn food enthusiasts from the surrounding West GTA, but a new arrival promises to broaden the local menu with a focus on the Mediterranean basin. Olivette Bakery, Café and Patisserie opened its doors this week, offering a rotating selection of baked goods from Europe, North Africa, and the Levant.
Shadi Almasri, the bakery's owner, described the concept as "pan-Mediterranean." He explained that the menu draws from every country bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including Turkey and North Africa. The result is a combination of dishes such as North African shakshuka, French croissants, and Italian Rotondi, a pizza-like flatbread.
The decision to open the shop stemmed from the Almasri family's travels through the region. They identified a gap in the local market for authentic Mediterranean pastries. Almasri's wife, Najla, serves as the executive pastry chef. She has spent the last two years training in France and the United Kingdom, where she focused on developing authentic doughs for the new menu.
Almasri believes the location was chosen strategically. Oakville sits between Hamilton and Toronto, a position he argued creates a steady demand for diverse food options. He predicted that residents would seek out Mediterranean baked goods, and the opening week proved that prediction correct. Customers have been seen lining up outside the store, a trend Almasri said surprised even him.
"Initially I hired 12 people. Now I'm hiring eight more so we can provide great service to our customers," Almasri said. "The demand is unbelievable and I'm surprised myself." He noted that the high volume of traffic required an immediate expansion of staff to maintain service levels.
Regular items on the menu include almond and pistachio croissants, which have been selling out consistently. Almasri emphasized that the bakery uses real, crunchy pistachios rather than cream-based substitutes. Other recommendations from the owner include the cheese and za'atar Rotondi, as well as a sourdough tartine topped with avocado, eggs, and salmon.
Olivette operates from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. On Sundays, the bakery opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. The shop remains closed on Mondays. A website for the business is currently under construction and is expected to go live within the next few days.
