THE SHOPPE

THE SHOPPE

The Shoppe is a new gourmet candy and ice cream store at 1856 Scarth Street in downtown Regina.

The Shoppe attracts people seeking a sweet escape – both via the confections on offer and the soothing environment. The ambiance is stylishly light and bright with an ultra-feminine décor featuring pastel pink flowers and a honeycombed ceiling. It has a bit of a big city feel, yet The Shoppe is the brainchild of Benjamin Quattrini, a busy entrepreneur originally from St. Catherines, Ontario now based in Saskatoon. Benjamin wants his customers to enjoy high-end confections. He sources products internationally from Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United States and Canada. 

Benjamin opened The Shoppe’s flagship store in Saskatoon in May 2021 and this Regina location a month later. Both stores are managed by sisters Christina and Danyka Ramstead, who travel back and forth between the two cities to ensure quality service, uncommon merchandise and an inviting atmosphere.

Among the many sweet treats available are Iced Lavender Lattes, artisan-crafted popsicles called Paleta Bars and Dippin’ Dots which are flash-frozen small balls of ice cream that must be maintained at minus 40 degrees. Vibrant jars of yummy goodies line the shelves with catchy names to match like All Dolled Up and Unicorn Popcorn. Some of the treats are said to be addictive, such as the Ready to Eat Cookie-Dough and Choco-PB Pretzel Pillows. You can feel like a kid again with cotton candy spun fresh before your eyes. A few other non-candy highlights include waffles, ice cream, hot chocolate and Dragon’s Breath – which is intensely coloured “cereal” served in a bowl puffing “smoke”! Non-gluten and non-dairy options are available and many products can be purchased online. General Manager Christina says plenty of new items are in the works as well.

The Shoppe does more than satisfy a craving for sweet food and drink. The store manager Danyka explains, “It’s a destination spot for a fun adventure.”  Tables and chairs are set up inside the store and outside on the Scarth Street Mall, weather permitting, so you can take your time enjoying your satisfying favourites. The Shoppe is open weekdays 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

OLIVER’S MENSWEAR Cornwall Centre

OLIVER’S MENSWEAR

The wide variety of suits on display at Oliver’s Menswear in the Cornwall Centre are brought together by superior fabrics and exquisite tailoring. Conservative cuts compliment contemporary colours and patterns – for example a plum damask tuxedo-styled jacket with black satin lapels. An abundance of ties offers a dazzling array of choice from the traditional to the avant-garde; a muted patterned blue to an embossed pink silk. Designer jeans, trendy shirts and contemporary casuals are displayed, along with burnished leather belts, seemingly the kind to last a lifetime. Sleek leather shoes are artistically placed throughout the store, their styles ranging from classic to modern.  

Farzad Jahanpour, co-owner of Oliver’s Menswear says: “Fashion plus quality is what our customers have come to expect and at prices that are affordable”. The selection offered by Oliver’s is sourced mainly from high-end clothiers in Canada and Europe including Ted Baker, 7 Downie Street, Tiger of Sweden and Bruun & Stengade from Copenhagen. 

All of Oliver’s apparel is carefully curated, recognizing that clothes provide more than a practical function. Wardrobe choices can reflect aspects of personality and position, and may influence the way the wearer thinks and behaves. Research conducted at Northwestern University in Illinois lead to the term, “enclothed cognition”, to describe the psychological impact clothing can convey. A high-end, well-tailored suit can provide a sense of authority to its wearer and compel him to act accordingly. This is more obvious in specific business attire and uniforms, such as robes worn by judges. Of course, a man may wish to convey coolness, sophistication or even rebellion rather than authority. According to this theory: “Clothes make the man.” It is an old adage attributed to American writer Mark Twain, but was actually stated by Shakespeare centuries earlier as: “Apparel oft proclaims the man”. However, Farzad believes it “works both ways. The man can make the clothes.” 

Since 1989, Farzad and his brother Behzad, have dressed Regina’s men in fine, fashionable clothing for a reasonable price. The Jahanpour brothers opened their first store in Regina, in what was then The Galleria Mall on Hamilton Street. The Jahanpours later moved Oliver’s into the Golden Mile Shopping Centre and they relocated again into the Southland Mall in 2000 where Oliver’s Menswear has been ever since. By 2013, the brothers decided to expand and open a second outlet, trying the downtown area and Hamilton Street once more. Then in 2020, Oliver’s Menswear moved into the Cornwall Centre – finally finding their downtown home. 

Today the Jahanpour brothers serve a third generation of loyal customers. Their customers tend be men who wear business attire daily or those looking for a suit for special occasions, such as a wedding or graduation. “We are not just conducting a business transaction,” says Farzad, “but also a relationship transaction.”

Regardless of personal style, and whether a long-time customer or someone visiting Oliver’s for the first time, all are warmly welcomed and well-attended. Though the pandemic has proved challenging to operations, as restrictions ease, Farzad remains certain that client loyalty to Oliver’s—indeed to all local businesses—will prompt continued success. “We serve the people of Regina and by supporting Oliver’s, or any other shop here, you are supporting the community.”