Carmen’s Group moves corporate headquarters downtown Hamilton
“We love that space because it’s right where my father and my uncles used to sell newspapers back in the 60s”
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8...town-hamilton/
Carmen's Group is returning to its roots.
The local hospitality and entertainment company has relocated its corporate headquarters to the Hamilton City Centre on James Street North from Stone Church Road East — a move that began right before the holidays and coincides with Carmen's 40th year in business.
"We love that space because it's right where my father and my uncles used to sell newspapers back in the 60s," said PJ Mercanti, CEO of Carmen's Group.
"It's kind of a perfect space for us to build the dream that is the Carmen's Group right where my family started their journey many, many years ago."
In 1978, Peter, Sam and Morris Mercanti partnered with their uncle Carmen Mancini to start a bakery on Concession Street.
The bakery's catering division expanded, and the brothers were able to buy land on the east Mountain where they opened their event venue, Carmen's Banquet Centre, in 1987.
The company has continued to grow over the years and now operates five establishments in the region and employs close to 400 full-time and part-time staff.
The new space, which is around 7,000 square feet and includes a boardroom and common area for private events and small gatherings, will allow the organization to continue to grow, said Mercanti.
The relocated head office will also be within a 15-minute drive from all of its locations, which include a contract to manage the Hamilton Convention Centre by Carmen's, the food and beverage operations in the Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club and The Lakeview on Van Wagners Beach Road.
With their office overlooking the intersection of James and King William streets, the new location also positions the company "right in the middle of all of the action with what's going on in the hospitality scene and the arts scene," Mercanti said.
"We want a good component of our growth plan to be executed in the downtown area, so it just made a lot of sense for us to be here for that reason as well."