Northville-area residents who crave fresh Italian breads, pasta, olive oil and other cooking delights, have patience – a closer place to shop is coming.

Cantoro's Italian Market, now operating from one store on Middlebelt Road in Livonia, is building a new 20,000-square-foot store on Haggerty Road, about a quarter mile north of Five Mile Road in Northville Township. John Fallone, a co-owner of the company, said his family hopes to finish the $5 million store by September.

"The building shell is done and the roof is going up, but we've stopped construction until April. We'd like to open by September, but if we can't get it done by late next year, we'll open in 2012," Fallone said.

Mario Fallone founded the store in Detroit in 1966, but moved the store to the current location in 1972. He is joined in the venture by his sons Michael and John.

Cantoro's is one of Metro Detroit's most popular bakeries, featuring fresh Italian breads each morning. The store also has a deli and stocks popular wines, Italian pasta, vegetables and a large selection of olive oils, including the Fallone family brand.

The Livonia store is frequently overloaded with customers, especially for the fresh bread, John Fallone said. So the family decided it was time to open a new store.

"We like Northville, and have a lot of customers who come from the area. The location we're at now is too small, sometimes people who come here can't even get in," he said.

The new place will have a few new offerings, Fallone said, including a wine made from grapes right at the store, a bigger variety of homemade pasta, gifts imported from Italy, cakes and pastries (including wedding cakes) and a sit-down café that will serve alcohol. He said the company is working with the township on obtaining a liquor license.

Sue Hillebrand, the township clerk, said that the township doesn't have a liquor license to give to Cantoro's, but expects to get more licenses approved due to expected population growth in the 2010 Census. The township had about 21,000 people in 2000.

"We expect to be in the 30,000 range when the census data comes out," Hillebrand said. "We should get two or three new liquor licenses if we grow that much. Cantoro's is the first on the list, we are thrilled to have them come and build in the community." The Fallones also have the option of buying a resort license and bringing it into the township, she said.

The specialty store is still enjoying a brisk business even during the economic downturn, Fallone said. While he said he expects the organic fad to slow down, stores that carry fresh and different food will continue to be popular, he says. "People come here and ask for things they can't find in the supermarket. It's also the cooking shows, they air and then we get 10 calls for something people saw on one of the shows," Fallone said.