Boston Pizza has arrived in Morinville

Feb 6, 2020 Business, Local News, Morinville News 32

Franchise representative Angel Bisanz stands in front of Morinville’s new Boston Pizza. – Stephen Dafoe Photos

by Colin Smith

The Morinville Boston Pizza will open to the public on Monday, Feb. 10, about 14 months after a successful bid for the franchise was announced by Ryan Andrews of Landrex.

The 5,000-plus square-foot restaurant, located at 9140 100 Street, includes a family dining side and a sports bar.

It features sophisticated but cheery décor, with sports motifs and a nod to Morinville’s heritage in the form of vintage photographs, jerseys from local teams and some signage in French.

The dining room seats 105 people, the lounge holds 95, and when the patio opens in May, it will accommodate 50.

“We’re looking forward to serving everybody in the community,” said franchise representative Angel Bisanz in an interview.

Based in Spruce Grove and with a 34-history with Boston Pizza, Bisanz has been involved in setting up the new franchise, along with restaurant consultant Joe Scalzo.

During a recent visit, training was going on for some of the 80 to 90 staff members who will be employed at the restaurant, the majority of them from Morinville.

“We’ve tried to support the community by employing the community,“ said Bisanz. “At Boston Pizza we support a lot of students while they are going through school.”

The general manager of the restaurant is Lorinda Santos. Front of house manager is Melinda Northcott, and Community Relations Coordinator is Emily Michaels, both from Morinville.

Boston Pizza is, of course, famous for its pizza, and there are 21 varieties to choose from, ranging from classics such as pepperoni and Hawaiian to signature recipes such as spicy perogy and bourbon BBQ chicken. Thin-crust creations include pesto Caprese and skinny carnivore.

Or you can create your own pizza, choosing size, type of crust, toppings and maybe adding a dip.

Beyond pizza, the restaurant offers a host of choices, including starters and shareables, entrée salads, burgers and sandwiches, pasta – including a create-your-own option, entrées and the new quinoa and rice bowls with toppings that include salmon and honey dill chicken.

Vegan and gluten-free dishes are listed on the menu.

At Boston Pizza, community involvement is another important element. That will include support for youth sports, such as baseball and hockey tournaments.

Addtionally, at the restaurant’s invitation-only grand opening on Friday, all gratuities and a matching amount from the franchise will be donated to the Jessica Martell Memorial Foundation, which operates a safe house for women in abusive relationships.

Along with great food, at Boston Pizza, people can expect the best in hospitality, stated Bisanz.

“Everyone that walks through the door is going to be treated like family,” she said. “Guests that come to the restaurant also become friends.”

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32 Comments

  10. I’m happy to see them, but hope it doesn’t negatively impact our local businesses too much. However, I look forward to having some good pasta there, very soon!

  12. Was that a soft opening yesterday filled with’select’ guests? Hmm… whaaaat a great way to start a business in a small town..not!

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