Why Fortinos Was the Right Retail Partner for Our First Launch

When we decided the time had come to launch Glacial Treasure under our own name, choosing the right first retail partner mattered enormously. This is our name. Our family. Thirty years of work. We didn’t want it on just any shelf. Here’s why Fortinos was the right choice.

A Grocery Chain That Values Local

Fortinos has built its reputation on quality — traditional Italian and Mediterranean roots, a commitment to fresh, and a customer base that reads labels and asks questions. It’s a chain where a family-run Ontario brand with real credentials would be understood and appreciated, not lost in the anonymous sea of a big-box shopping cart.

For our first retail introduction to Ontario families, we needed a chain whose customers would engage with our story. Fortinos was that chain.

Mediterranean Roots Align With Our Products

Our five launch products — Chicken Shawarma, Lemon Pepper Chicken Breast, Shish Tawook, Chicken & Pork Souvlaki, and Chicken Souvlaki — are Mediterranean-inspired. Fortinos shoppers understand these flavours. They cook this food. Kostas and Anastasia Dikeos came from Greece and built our recipes on the Mediterranean tradition. Fortinos is a chain whose shoppers get it.

The Team Understood What We Were Building

Working with Fortinos through the launch process, we found a team that genuinely understood what we were trying to accomplish. Not just moving product — building a brand. Explaining our story on shelf. Positioning us properly in the frozen aisle. Supporting our sampling and marketing plans. That kind of partnership is rare in retail.

What Comes Next

The partnership is going well. More Fortinos locations are being added to the rollout through the summer. The Shish Tawook and Chicken & Pork Souvlaki products are on deck to expand the lineup. Sampling events at select Fortinos locations are being scheduled — details on our social media as dates are confirmed.

Beyond Fortinos, other retail conversations are underway. But Fortinos was the right first partner, and we’re grateful for the way they’ve supported the launch. Ontario families deserve better frozen chicken options. Together, we’re delivering them.

Find Glacial Treasure at your local Fortinos —  ddpoultry.ca/glacial-treasures/