Seen In Vancouver #241: From Corner Store To “Coco Et Olive”

Walking on Main today I saw that a new location of the idiosyncratically homey (and very French) cafe Coco et Olive (original on West Broadway) was very nearly finished construction on the southwest corner of 21st, where Hap’s Corner Store used to be (since forever). The interior was an ordered, spacious jumble of mismatched pieces – which can pass as “country charming” I guess – but what I especially liked was how they’ve kept the old Hap’s sign on the facade. While I’m not at all sure that it’s going to stay that way, I think any homage to previous tenants is a nice touch, whether it be it born of laziness or honour. A few interior snaps after the jump… Read more

Packaging & Design Go Hi-Tech At Ethical Bean Coffee Company

News from Scout supporter Ethical Bean Coffee Company

Vancouver, BC | On June 15, 2010, Canada’s second largest 100% Fairtrade Certified roaster, Ethical Bean Coffee, will launch the latest technology in coffee packaging and design, enhancing the level of transparency and information available to its customers. Each bag of Ethical Bean coffee has been equipped with its own 2D barcode that can be scanned in-store using a free Ethical Bean iPhone app or entered manually on the company’s website.

This revolutionary new feature gives consumers the opportunity to watch interviews with farmers, look up cupping notes and roast profiles, and Google map each bag’s beans down to the exact field they were grown in, all while standing in the grocery isle. Ethical Bean’s new bag also combines a zip seal for freshness and ease of use with clean, modern graphics that engage coffee lovers with more roast and taste information than ever before.

The new packaging reflects the company’s commitment to producing the best tasting, freshest coffee for consumers while providing a just and better approach to coffee roasting. “At the end of the day, we want people to love our coffee, not just because it makes them feel good,” says Bernhardt, “but because they know they’re getting the absolute best cup of coffee that we can provide.” Read more

Caffè Artigiano’s Kyle Straw To Compete In UBC For WBC Title

News from Scout supporter Caffè Artigiano

Vancouver, BC | Caffè Artigiano’s Kyle Straw will represent Canada in the 2010 World Barista Championships (WBC) held in London, England from June 23-26. A professional barista, Straw is the General Manager of Caffè Artigiano’s Hornby Street location.

On October 15th, 2009, Straw won the seventh annual Canadian Barista Championships, held in Vancouver at the Canadian Coffee & Tea Show. The panel especially loved Kyle’s signature drink, which drew inspiration from a Black Forest cake. Made with a winning combination of espresso from the Koke Cooperative in Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Kyle’s signature drink wowed the judges with its great balance of flavours and elegant presentation.

Straw’s achievement carried on the legacy of his Caffè Artigiano patriots who have won every Canadian title since the competition began in 2003. Caffè Artigiano is the only caffe in the World to have competed in the World Championships more than 4 times; in fact this is their 7th year in a row to participate in the coveted competition. Read more

Ethical Bean To Revise Project After Intense Debate On Scout

News from Scout supporter Ethical Bean Coffee Company

Vancouver, BC | Two weeks after the announcement of a pilot recycling project, Ethical Bean Coffee CEO Lloyd Bernhardt has decided to revise the company’s bag-return program so that empty coffee bags will no longer be sent to incinerators. Instead, Ethical Bean will store the empty coffee bags at their roasting facility until a more environmentally friendly solution is found.

“After further consideration and a lively online discussion with both local environmental leaders and our customers, we have decided that incineration of empty coffee bags is not our best solution,” says Bernhardt. Much of the debate took place on Vancouver’s Scout Magazine, which became a forum for opinion on the pros and cons of waste energy, incineration and recycling. “Our mandate at Ethical Bean is to continuously work towards being both just and better. Scout’s readers took it upon themselves to respond, educate and work with Ethical Bean on an answer to empty coffee bags that does not include incineration. It is my belief that open conversations such as this one can lead to change.” The full debate can be viewed online at http://bit.ly/cT3LKm. Read more

Ethical Bean Coffee Launches New Recycling Pilot Project

News from Scout supporter Ethical Bean Coffee Company

Vancouver, BC | Ethical Bean Coffee launches a new recycling program on Monday, March 22nd that will reduce the number of coffee bags in landfills and will put a hot cup of coffee into the hands of the environmentally conscious in return.

Eco-conscious coffee lovers are invited to bring their empty coffee bags to the Ethical Bean Xpress drop-boxes located at the Granville Skytrain station and Commercial Skytrain station, or to the Ethical Bean Café and roasting facility at 1315 Kootenay Street in East Vancouver. Those who bring in 5 bags or more at a time will receive an extra treat: a cup of fresh drip coffee on the house. Additionally, all recyclers who write their name and email address on the side of their bags before returning them will be entered each week into a draw for a free pound of coffee. This program isn’t just limited to Vancouverites. Anyone across Canada can mail their empty coffee bags, along with their name and email address, to Ethical Bean Coffee, 1315 Kootenay Street, Vancouver, BC V5K 4Y3 and be entered into the weekly draw. Read more

We Welcome Mogiana Coffee To The Growing Scout Community

The good folks over at Mogiana Coffee are now proud member supporters of Scout. We will be publishing their news and press releases on our front page and hosting a page for them in our list of recommended resources. Click ahead or jump to their Scout page here. Read more

Mystery: How Does A Man This Mellow Deal In Coffee All Day?

Each week, Scout poses 60 questions to a local who has made life in BC that much more interesting. They pick and choose. The minimum response is 20 answers (a Rorschach test, for sure). Barrett Jones answered all sixty. The mellow man tastes coffee for 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, organizes people who want to open cafes, and stands fast as the gatekeeper who decides whether you give a shit or should be better served by a different roaster. Read more

We Welcome Caffè Artigiano To The Growing Scout Community

Illustrious local coffee company Caffè Artigiano is now a proud member supporter of Scout. We will be publishing their news and press releases on our front page, and hosting an individual page for them on our list of recommended restaurants. Click ahead for a taste or visit their Scout page here… Read more

Local Coffee Company Shatters 2009 Record & Raises $32,000…

News from Scout supporter Ethical Bean Coffee Company

Vancouver, BC | Ethical Bean’s founders Lloyd Bernhardt and Kim Schachte are thrilled to announce that this year’s total fundraising for the company’s Kids to School program has clocked in at an impressive $32,000. A significant increase from the 2009 record of $21,949, the funds raised will be split between two organizations that will help to improve the lives of Guatemalan children. Read more

“Ethical Bean” Purchases Over Xmas To Aid Guatemalan Kids

News from Scout supporter Ethical Bean Coffee Company

Vancouver, BC | Beginning December 1st, Ethical Bean Coffee will donate $1 from every unit of coffee sold to help the children of Guatemala. Now in its fifth year running, the charitable holiday initiative, Kids to School, will split donations between two organizations: Child Aid’s FUNDIT and Project Somos. Arguably the most important of Ethical Bean’s sponsorship programs, the funds raised to date have resulted in 345 elementary school scholarships and over $10,000 towards the building of a village for orphaned children in Guatemala. Read more

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