Berchicci in Saint-Leonard to reopen Nov. 28 after fire damage
Posted November 21, 2025 12:37 pm.
Last Updated November 22, 2025 5:37 pm.
Berchicci, the longtime Italian specialty store in Montreal’s Saint-Leonard, is set to reopen next Friday following a temporary closure earlier this year due to a fire.
The store says repairs and safety upgrades have progressed steadily, allowing staff to prepare for a fresh start.
The reopening will feature a refreshed space and a selection of the store’s popular Italian products, including cheeses, pasta and olive oils.
“We are ready for the opening, no matter what. We’re ready,” said Giovanni Occhiuto, president of Magasin Berchicci.
Early-morning blaze causes major damage
The fire occurred on April 17 around 2:40 a.m. at the store on Couture Blvd., near Belmont St.
Firefighters were able to control the flames and no one was injured.
The blaze caused significant damage to the business, prompting months of repairs.
Occhiuto said the news of the fire struck deeply.
“We were saddened because this is our family business, you know? So we put a lot of heart and effort into making sure that our customers are happy, that our staff is working to satisfy our customers. And naturally every day is a new day for us, so it was a challenge,” he said.
SPVM takes over investigation
Due to the suspicious nature of the fire, the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) transferred the case to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).
The SPVM’s Arson and Explosives Unit is now handling the investigation.
No arrests have been made, and authorities say the case remains open and could be relaunched if new evidence emerges.
A transformed store ready to welcome customers
After seven months of reconstruction and planning, Occhiuto says next week’s reopening marks a major milestone.
“Next Friday is a great moment for us because we’ve taken seven months to renew ourselves, to make things better, new and improved, like as they say. And people are going to be impressed with our new look, always to serve better and to offer the best Italian products on the Montreal market,” he said.
He explained that the redesign goes far beyond repairs.
“Mainly we changed the layout of the store. We moved the cheese department and the deli department to a larger space, so people have more room to move, more room to shop. And naturally the entrance became the exit, so we modernized. It’s going to be a fresh look and a new start to Berchicci for the next 25 years.”
The store is also expanding its offerings.
“We added to the menu, we have already made the dishes for takeout to bring home. We hired a professional chef. There are going to be great meals for people to enjoy at home, so this is our new, we’re going to be making fresh pasta. We’re going to have many, many new products available.”
A family effort behind the comeback
Occhiuto said the long months of rebuilding came with challenges, but also moments of pride.
“It was a challenge, but I have to thank my son Giancarlo. He took on the challenge by himself. I helped, I was coaching, he did a great job and I’m very proud of my son and hopefully this will be his legacy.”
With the store now fully prepared for reopening, Occhiuto says they are eager to welcome the community back—and just in time for the holiday rush.
“I would like to welcome all our existing customers and our future customers to come and visit Berchicci, either for the opening or in the coming months as we have, we’re ready for the Christmas season.
Customer reactions
CityNews spoke with shoppers who didn’t just welcome the news of Berchicci’s reopening — they celebrated it. Their reactions reveal just how deeply this neighbourhood staple is woven into their daily lives.
One longtime customer captured the community’s anticipation with enthusiasm.
“It’s very exciting. They have a lot of products we can’t find anywhere else, so we’ll certainly visit.”
He recalled how the fire hit him and many others:
“It was a bit shocking, but things happen. We’ve got to move on and hopefully we get good products again so we can go back.”
For him, the store’s uniqueness is undeniable:
“There’s a lot of products you can’t find anywhere else — straight from Italy.”
His final message was one of hope: “I just wish them luck and hope everything turns out better.”
Another customer couldn’t contain her joy, describing the reopening as something she’s been waiting for since the moment the doors closed.
She said that while she managed to buy similar items elsewhere, nothing compares to the experience Berchicci offers:
“I like to come here because the people who work here know me. The welcome is always the same. I really like their products — especially the cheese, the charcuterie, the pasta. There are different pastas and everything. I’m even looking forward to seeing if they have gluten-free pasta. And it’s just next door.”
“I’m so happy. Really. I’m really happy, happy, happy,” she added.
A third shopper put it plainly — and emphatically — summing up a feeling shared by many:
“Very excited to go back to Berchicci.”
Two friends who spoke to speak to CityNews expressed a similar mix of relief and anticipation, reflecting a community eager to get its culinary anchor back.
One of them said: “Very excited. I missed it.”
The other added with a laugh: “Yeah, we need our Italian products back.”
When asked why Berchicci stands apart from other Montreal grocers, one immediately pointed to its specialty offerings:
“The variety of cheese and lots of stuff.”
Her friend expanded on that, emphasizing the store’s importance:
“There are a lot of things you find there that you just don’t find anywhere else. It’s a one-stop shop for your Italian groceries and products.”
They both remember the moment they learned about the fire — a moment they described as devastating. But today, their focus is on what comes next: the long-awaited reopening.
