When Paraiso Tropical first opened its doors in Edmonton more than 21 years ago, it was the only business in western Canada to offer imported food products from South and Central America.
Since then, Paraiso Tropical has become an Edmonton institution, providing patrons with a Latin American-inspired shopping experience unlike almost anywhere else in Canada.
And while the highly-celebrated quality and consistency of Paraiso Tropical remain relatively unchanged since 1991, the Latin market recently shook things up on the branding side of things, and unveiled a newly-revamped look.
The Paraiso Tropical team worked alongside local designer and illustrator, Gela Cabrera Loa of Gelopolis, throughout the rebranding process, giving the Latino market a fresh look and feel that they believe better reflects the modern day Paraiso Tropical brand.
“We wanted more recognition in the Edmonton area. This is a family business that has been around for almost 30 years, and we wanted to see how we could maintain the prestige and the hard work of [owner] Jesus [Gonzalez Rivas Jr.] and his family,” explains manager Natalia Marcenaro. “But we always want to keep the customers top of mind. The way we’re working right now is more modern in practice than it was years ago, so we also have to do this with the brand.”
Althought a large portion of the rebranding work was completed during the pandemic, the Paraiso Tropical management team says they have been discussing the idea of a rebrand for roughly two years, and actually began the process near the end of 2019.
“The situation is not ideal. Businesses are struggling, but what better time--at the same time--to show that we are growing and adapting to the changing culture, to the changing times and that we can still provide? We can still keep moving forward,” shares Gonzalez Rivas Jr. “So the pandemic wasn’t really a reason to stop us. If anything, it was a reinforcement of how we need to constantly readapt.”
Both Paraiso Tropical Latin Market locations are open 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Additionally, new products are added daily to the Paraiso Tropical online store, and can be ordered online.
