A new African Caribbean grocery and convenience store has opened on West Street North.
Grace Moosh, 35, moved to Canada in 2017 to become a business owner. She first opened Mooshfood African Caribbean Supermarket on Dunlop Street in Barrie three years ago.
“Some people have lived up north here for a while but were still going down to Toronto to get their food,” she explained. “When I first opened my store in Barrie, people were really excited.”
Moosh’s Barrie store had plenty of Orillia customers, which is what motivated her to open a location in the Sunshine City.
“We wanted to help our customers who were making the trip to Barrie,” she said. “We also wanted to help make the city of Orillia more multi-cultured.”
While the store just opened earlier this month, Moosh says business has been slow so far.
“We are still new to the city,” she said. “I see a great future for the business because a lot of people from social media have been saying they want to come in and see the kinds of foods that are in our store.”
From the customers that have visited the store, Moosh says the feedback has been all positive.
“People are giving us five stars,” she said. “People have been interested in what we have and have been buying and trying different stuff.”
Mooshfood African Caribbean Supermarket features spices, sauces, and other unique food items found from around the world that you mostly can't find anywhere else north of Toronto. Moosh said she imports most of her products from Nigeria.
“We definitely want to grow the store into something bigger,” Moosh said. “We want don’t want this to be for African and Caribbean people only but for the whole community.”
Moosh says it’s important for people who have lived in Orillia their whole life to try some of the food in her store.
“Most of the things we sell are things that anybody could eat,” she said. “It’s important for people to try a little taste of cultures from all different continents.”
The supermarket so far has employed two full-time staff members.
Moosh says it’s exciting to be a part of the Orillia community.
“We want to be a part of the growth of the community and its economy,” she said.
Mooshfood African Caribbean Supermarket is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
