A Touch of Mexico Denman Place Mall

When Juan Manuel Soto moved from Mexico to Canada in 2003, he brought with him a little piece of his culture. His shop, A Touch of Mexico in Denman Place Mall is filled with colourful, authentic and mostly hand-made Mexican goods. Originally trained as a lawyer, Juan decided to move to Canada on a whim. “I was feeling crazy, so I moved to Canada,” says Juan of his decision to leave home. “Maybe I still am!” he adds with a laugh.

When he first arrived, Juan went to school for four months to learn English, as he didn’t speak a word at the time. His English has improved by leaps and bounds since then, and although he still speaks with a Mexican accent, his grasp of English is more than enough to help customers find the goods they're looking for. It also helps that he does so with a very friendly and approachable manner.