Toncini Modern Italian opens daily pasta bar, new Kelowna gathering spot

Fresh pasta in Kelowna is about to move off the special-occasion circuit. Toncini Modern Italian has opened a new brick-and-mortar space on Kirschner Road, shifting from private dining, catering and meal kits into a daily pasta bar that makes scratch-made Italian food easier to reach week to week.

The move matters because it changes what locals can actually access. Instead of booking a chef, waiting for an event, or ordering a catered spread, diners will soon be able to walk into a dedicated space for freshly made pasta every day. The business is in soft retail now, with a full grand opening expected in mid-May 2026, and the rollout has been deliberate after several months of renovation.

Andrew Toncini’s path to this opening has been building for years. He moved to Kelowna in January 2021 after growing up in Italy’s Marche region and working in Okanagan restaurants, then rebranded Kelowna Catering Co. into Toncini Modern Italian in 2023. Since then, the business has expanded from private chef services into catering, culinary workshops and events, with Toncini also drawing on earlier experience co-founding La Cucina Mobile, a food truck in Brisbane, Australia.

The new pasta bar is meant to feel less like a reservation and more like part of the neighborhood’s weekly rhythm. Toncini has said customers will be able to see the food as it is made, with the fridges, freezers and scratch-made production on view. That transparency is a big part of the brand’s identity, setting it apart from a standard takeout counter and underscoring that the business is selling process as much as plates.

Steffie Pellerin said the team also plans to host cooking classes and community events, which gives the space a second life beyond lunch and dinner service. Patio seating adds to that shift, turning the new location into a place where people can linger instead of just pick up dinner and leave.

The opening arrives in a city where food identity already carries weight. Tourism Kelowna describes Kelowna as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and says the local dining scene is strongly shaped by seasonality, while the city’s restaurant landscape is full of casual, patio-friendly options. Toncini Modern Italian is stepping into that mix with a model built around daily access, visible craft and a stronger connection between the kitchen and the table.