The cultivated palates of Squamish鈥檚 coffee connoisseurs are driving a thriving industry of independent caf茅s in town. They are looking for a unique experience 鈥� interesting conversation with fellow customers, a laid-back atmosphere and baristas who know their daily order.
Supporting homegrown businesses is also at the top of their list, along with an appreciation of fair trade coffee, organic food and locally baked goods.
鈥淧eople who go to the smaller coffee shops want an alternative. They want something different,鈥� said George Chang.聽
Chang has opened caf茅s in California, Langley and Squamish 鈥� downtown and formerly in the Adventure Centre 鈥� and has a new one in the works.
Chang said finding a niche is vital to the survival of the small, independent caf茅s that are located within minutes of large chain coffee shops.聽
鈥淵ou have to be unique. You can鈥檛 compete with the 鈥榖ig boys鈥� or you鈥檒l get crushed,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are different markets, and there鈥檚 room for both.鈥�
His newest caf茅, 脌 Table, is slated to open on Discovery Way at the end of next month and, along with a good cup of coffee, will offer cooking and wine education classes and a four-course set menu on select evenings.
鈥淚鈥檓 not looking to compete,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to complement what we have locally, and offer something different.鈥�
Walking into Zephyr Caf茅 on Cleveland Avenue in downtown Squamish, it鈥檚 easy to see what Chang is talking about. It鈥檚 not uncommon to be greeted by a barista proudly donning a facial piercing and tattoos, standing under a chalkboard menu featuring signature hot drinks, homemade chili, organic rice bowls and raw pad thai (zucchini noodles with a nut butter sauce).聽
鈥淪quamish has a cool, interesting, eclectic lifestyle,鈥� said Zephyr owner Adrian Blachut, who reflects this in the atmosphere of his coffee shop, which he strives to make a community meeting space.聽
At 27 years of age, he brings a young, casual vibe to the caf茅.聽
Local artwork hanging on the walls and the dozens of community event posters tacked in one corner give the space a definitive Squamish feel.聽
Competition from large chains, which are usually located along Highway 99, and the new independent coffee shops popping up in Squamish don鈥檛 scare him.聽
鈥淶ephyr and other small places can be destinations the way larger coffee shops can鈥檛 because they鈥檙e everywhere,鈥� he explained, after chatting with a few regular customers.聽
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 want to be along the highway 鈥� it鈥檚 a different clientele.鈥�
The caf茅鈥檚 focus on vegetarian, vegan, raw and gluten-free food helps set it apart from the large chains and attract members of the local foodie scene.聽
Patt Sweeney, a regular at Zephyr, sits with a coffee, notepad and his Mac computer. 鈥淭here鈥檚 good coffee and food, and it鈥檚 familiar here. I meet lots of people and have had interesting conversations,鈥� said Sweeney, who works nearby and often visits in the morning and the occasional evening.
鈥淚t鈥檚 casual and it鈥檚 nice to see the same friendly, smiling faces.鈥�
Free Wi-Fi is essential, he adds.
Coffee art
Squamish鈥檚 coffee culture is relatively new.聽
The first Starbucks opened in the late 鈥�90s and joined a handful of other coffee shops. Then a younger generation with a refined taste for coffee discovered Squamish after the 2010 Winter Olympics brought attention to the area.聽
As Squamish鈥檚 taste evolved, so did its coffee.
Chang, who also owns a high-end kitchen store, noticed residents began buying more deluxe machines to make barista-style coffee at home during this time.
He keeps a close eye on trends and said more coffee shops are on the horizon as the city鈥檚 population increases, especially near the downtown core.聽
Squamish now even has its own small-batch roaster, Counterpart Coffee on Discovery Way, that sells specialty coffee such as Organic Timor, a fair trade coffee from the Dili Cooperative in East Timor, and a natural-processed coffee from the Cerrado Mineiro region of Brazil.
Over at Cloudburst Caf茅 on Mamquam Road, barista Zach Leenstra carefully creates an intricate rosetta design using the foam on top of the latte he just poured.聽
鈥淵ou see a lot of hearts, but not many people make rosettas. I like to put personality into it.鈥�
To help perfect his coffee art skills, Leenstra recently drove to Seattle to watch the World Barista Championships, an annual event during which representatives from more than 50 countries prepare espressos, cappuccinos and original signature drinks in 15-minute performances. This year, Australia won, followed by the U.S. and Canada.
Leenstra, who has worked at the caf茅 for two years, said customers appreciate the added touches, along with the fair trade coffee, fresh baking made on site and local, organic food from the adjoining food truck, Locavore.聽
鈥淎fter about a year, people who were driving by started to hear about us. We are a secret spot that鈥檚 not so secret anymore,鈥� he said.聽
Right now, festive eggnog lattes are on the menu.
Similar to Zephyr Caf茅, a wide range of customers drop by the coffee shop, including those involved in adventure sports.聽
In one corner, two men sit opposite each other with papers strewn on the table, while laughter can be heard from a group of friends. A tutor and her student study with flashcards nearby.
鈥淚n the morning, we have moms come in after they drop off their kids at school, and then later business people stop by and send a couple of emails. Friends meet each other in the evenings,鈥� said Leenstra, adding he frequently serves hikers because of the close proximity to many trails.聽
With large coffee chains just a few blocks away, Leenstra also said finding a niche is essential for good business. 鈥淧eople could go anywhere to get their coffee. Often they could go somewhere closer, but they go out of their way to come here.鈥�
