1902. Alfonso Benedetti, seventeen year-old native of Abruzzi, Italy, lands in New York via Ellis Island. Working his way across America through a variety of colourful jobs, he winds up - over the course of ten years - in Vancouver, British Columbia. Living in boarding houses and searching for work, he and a partner decide to plunge into business for themselves. An Ice Cream parlour. Cigars. Chocolate. Parlour treats.

8 o'clock in the morning to midnight. Seven days a week.

1917. Alfonso, now affectionately referred to as "Benny" by the locals, buys out his partner and inaugurates Benny's Market. A shrewd move - and the beginning of more than 85 years of relations with the neighborhood and its people.
Enter the dry goods. Benny's Market thrives.

And so does the neighborhood. As immigrants from around the world - Chinese, Irish, Japanese, Greeks, Italians - pour into the neighborhood, East Vancouver becomes a place filled with colourful characters and stories. And Benny's Market quickly becomes a cornerstone. A place with a little something for everyone.

It had become a place for fun, relaxation . . . and even romance. Benny’s was the place for newlyweds to catch a few moments alone over an ice cream sundae while the innocent melodies of the times poured out of a transistor radio.

1956. Enter the son, Ramon Benedetti. Full of ideas, he injects new life into the establishment - including local deliveries, local relationships and trust. Importing and distributing goods from Spain, Portugal, Italy. Seasonal and regional specialties that make Benny's both local and unique. He also starts the all-important Wholesale Food Distribution business serving hotels, restaurants and a score of local businesses.

Today. Benny's Market. Still located in the heart of Strathcona. Still the same family. The same building. The same quality service. The same trust and reliability.