A new upscale restaurant downtown is now open, and Ristorante Cosa Nostra hopes to offer patrons something unique and unforgettable. It all started with a Facebook group called “[Controversial Humour] Fort McMurray Everything goes!!!” Mark Hobson, or Chef Marko as he is better known, posted a question to the group on Facebook that asked Does Fort McMurray need a fine Italian dining restaurant with dress code? According to Hobson the response was overwhelming. “That was at 11:30 in the morning. By the time it was 5 p.m. I had 487 hits. And everybody was saying yes, yes, yes, yes, except three people.” This happened 10 months ago, and the idea behind Ristorante Cosa Nostra was born. The upscale restaurant downtown opened on June 22, and it is located at 10020 Franklin Street in downtown Fort MacMurray.

Ristorante Cosa Nostra, the new upscale restaurant downtown, has been very popular since day 1, and it is poised for success even though it has been open for such a short time. Hobson said that the restaurant has been full every night since the Italian eatery opened, and that the establishment fills a need in the community.“ Hobson explained “Coming from the ladies, it was the same story — ‘we don’t have a place to go out to wear my nice dress, my nice shoes. I kind of got… fed up and said, you know what, I’m going to do it on my own. There is a place for this in town and this town is not a meat and potato town like everyone says.”