They must have opened and closed since I've left Calgary, but the Fratello guys I know quite well, they do great coffee roasting and have actually custom-built some amazing espresso machines. I'm pretty sure ... whatever the heck it's called: Bell and Sebastian? In Marda Loop has one of their "Slayer" espresso machines which are just amazing.
Simply looking at their menu and website, it looks like they were trying to do too much. A high-class bakery and breakfast/lunch/dinner restaurant and coffee shop and a catering business and a cake shop.
I imagine the rent in that location is tremendous, which would force the business to try to stay open as many hours as possible to try to generate the revenue, but that increases labour and operating costs at the same time and you just end up with ... what looks like something that started as a great idea: Let's open a really good bakery; and totally snowballed on them.
Regardless, the Fratello guys are great, I wish them luck in the future with their coffee business.
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