Grande Cheese is a privately owned grocery chain in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. Its corporate office is located in Toronto, and had been previously located in Orangeville.
History
Grande Cheese was founded in 1958 by Italian immigrant Marco Contardi who immigrated to Canada in 1955 from Anzano di Puglia, Apulia.[1] Before he immigrated to Canada, Contardi worked for a landlord tending to his sheep and cows where he learned to be a cheesemaker.[1] Upon arriving in Canada, Contardi soon opened Grande Cheese on a small farm in Orangeville, delivering their cheeses to Italian grocery stores, restaurants, and bakeries.[1]
During the 1960s, after a third party marketing and delivery system of milk was established, Grande Cheese moved closer to Toronto, a 5000 sqft on Milvan Drive. Later, Grande Cheese expanded to a 50000 sqft facility in Vaughan.[1]