We’ve been sitting on this for a while (construction began three months ago), but with the new neon sign going up yesterday, the cat’s out of the bag. 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters is opening a new location on the southeast corner of 13th & Main (formerly Pinky’s Drycleaners). Does Main St. need another coffee shop? Sure it does! And one with Kees van der Westen machines, a 16 seat cupping table, 2 garage doors leading out to a patio, a fireplace, a wrap-around booth, and plenty of tasties aside from coffee (namely 13 different ringed wonders from Lucky’s Doughnuts). It’s a big space – much bigger than the original in Kitsilano – and D-day is penned in for the first week of June, with crossed fingers. Here’s more from a press release that will be making its way into the media ether next week:
FORTY NINTH PARALLEL COFFEE ROASTERS TO OPEN NEW MAIN STREET LOCATION
May 2, 2012; Vancouver, B.C.: Local boutique coffee roaster, 49th Parallel has announced that it will open a second café location next month, located on Main Street at the corner of East 13 th Avenue. The new café will also be home to a Lucky’s Doughnuts counter, representing the company’s first foray into food.
The 2,800 square foot café joins the company’s original West 4th Avenue location in showcasing 49th Parallel’s own range of small-batch roasted coffees. In addition, the much bigger new location will include expanded space for single-cup preparation, a 16-seat communal table that can be used for group cuppings, a 30-seat patio on the East 13th Avenue side, and garage-style doors that create an open-air space during warmer weather.
“It feels good to get back to our East Vancouver roots,” says owner Vince Piccolo, who grew up not far from the new café location. “We’re really looking forward to the extra space giving us the ability to offer cuppings and educational sessions for the general public. We’re excited to share our passion for coffee with the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.”
Bringing together the classic pairing of coffee and doughnuts to the Main Street café is the launch of Lucky’s Doughnuts. Authentic, hand-crafted and genuinely delicious, Lucky’s Doughtnuts are made fresh throughout the day using the highest quality natural ingredients. With all components made from scratch including jams, glazes and fillings, the company also strives to source locally and seasonally. A selection of 13 different doughnuts—six yeast varieties, six cake varieties and a French crueller, will be available each day, with varieties changing with the seasons. More information about the doughnuts will be available at www.luckysdoughnuts.com.
The new 49th Parallel Café is located at 2902 Main Street (@ East 13th Avenue), and is slated to open during the first week of June. Hours of operation will be Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 10 pm; and Sunday, 8am to 8pm.
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well I was happy to see shitty starbucks with their over roasted beans and burnt tasting coffee went tits up at Main and 12th. given the 2nd location 2 blocks south at 14th all I can say is give me a fucking break.
I live in the area and there are more coffee shops on Main St than anywhere else I have ever been worldwide. Its a bit weird actually. But I welcome this place to the hood, they serve quality coffee and lets face it one can’t get enough donuts.
We’ve all been curious what was going in…..
Great, thats all we need…..another coffee shop……how about this novel idea, build something the community really needs like daycare, housing for seniors, affordable artist space, affordable housing…..
Doug you seems pleased that Starbucks is gone but how much better is the idea of another coffee shop opening up when they know damn well there are a dozen already in the area? a very Starbucks move if you ask me and seems rather hypocritical of an entrepreneur to open a business that threatens the livelyhood of another.
Starting to feel like Yaletown around here and that my friend is not necessarily a good thing…..variety is the spice of life, remember?
As much as I love my coffee, paying over $3.00 for a regular cuppa joe seems a tad ridiculous doesn’t it? Oh right, because our esteemed Mayor with his Vision cronies have decided to push us up to the top of the list of the Most Expensive places to live in Canada, I guess the poor business people have to charge a fortune inorder to cover their overpriced rent.
Yeah cafe owners should totally get out of the coffee trade and into daycare and senior housing.
And the truth of it is when you pay farmers a fair price for coffee beans the end product is going to cost a bit more. If you want to pay 50 cents for a cup a joe like in the good old days there is a seven eleven across the way why not go there for your regular cuppa joe.
Michelle…you sound like the life of the party!
49th is fantastic coffee. Looking forward to it! Donuts too!
Does Main St need another coffee shop?? Well likely not, there are dozens of them, most of which seems to be busy most of the time strangely enough. I’ll support it because they are local, not some massive American conglomerate, not to mention their shitty coffee. I’ll never understand why people go there, but I digress.
But I sure as hell can’t ever see daycare, seniors housing (there’s one of those at 12th and Sophia), affordable artist space (do the words starving artist ring a bell.) or affordable housing at Main and 13th.
Not to mention all the crap a developer has to go through with the city to change zoning. You have no idea.
I welcome the addition to the neighborhood. My usual coffee come from JJ Bean but I’ll be happy to walk another block for a new hangout and omfg they will sell fresh donuts too. Did you hear me?? FRESH DONUTS!!!!!
[…] 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters & Lucky’s Doughnuts Opening At Main & 13th : Scout Magazine. […]
Antonio….thanks for the heads up, but I do already grab a cup of coffee on occassion from the 711 and you know what….it’s actually quite good at a fraction of the price. I am also not niave enough to believe that there is no corruption when it comes to fair trade coffee, maybe a slightly better situation but at the end of the day it all comes down to making money whomever is involved.
Unfortuantly your other comment is just stupid….I did not say they (coffee shop owners) should not be in business….I clearly stated that I felt there are way too many coffee shops already in the area and for someone to open the same form of business that already exisits to this large extent makes them no better than a Starbucks monopoly because they are doing exactly what Starbucks does…..open a coffee shop on the next corner to an exisiting competitior.
Art……I was not suggesting opening such ammenities in the spot where this coffee shop is going but that the area needs such things as daycare etc. and that we need another coffee shop like we need….well…..another coffee shop.
And who are you trying to kid re: “Not to mention all the crap a developer has to go through with the city to change zoning. You have no idea.” excuse me! with Mayor Moonbeam in power he has made it easier for a Developer to get a rezoning change than it is for the average home owner to renovate their bathroom!….its clearly you that has no idea, take a look around you at all of the massive development going up and the fact they passed the rezoning development for the Rize project even though its not even close to what the MPCP outlines as to what is allowed to be developed there.
And don’t you think you come across as a little hypocritical because Starbucks started out with just a few coffee shops carrying their name just like 49th and who’s to say that they won’t do the same? Personally I don’t like the taste of Starbucks coffee nor their business tactics but the fact that they are a business just like other chains are such as 49th, JJ Bean, Bean around the World etc and they all have shops close to other coffee shops….you get the picture.
Waylon….FYI I am the life of the party actually ….you on the other hand are pretty ignorant to make such a childish comment especailly when I was merely suggesting that the area needs more daycare and senior facilities and that we clearly have more than enough coffee shops already.
It’s unfortunate that you guys take such offence and get so defensive about someone commenting on the fact that yet another coffee shop is opening when we have a dozen of them already in about an 8 block radius…..misplaced priorities on your part perhaps?
Enjoy the donuts but watch your waistline boys 😉
Michelle, there really is no need to lash out at us. Calling someone’s comments stupid, ignorant, or childish only helps to further discount your delusional statements.
Any sane person knows that 49th Parallel will never become like Starbucks, Further, the Rize project has absolutely nothing to do with a new coffee shop on Main. Please stop beating a dead horse.
Sure, we could use more senior care and child care facilities. But I fail to see how a new coffee shop on Main has anything to do with this. Many areas in Vancouver need more of this type of care. Perhaps if they were bulldozing an existing care facility, I could see your point.
Michelle,
In theory, I agree that South Main should have more seniors care/artist space/daycare. That said, how do you propose to actually manage something like this? Zoning on a micro level by telling a landlord that they can lease the space, but only to daycare/seniors care/artists? The real world logistical complexities of managing a system like that are staggering, and by staggering I really mean tax intensive.
What you are talking about is the state (be it local, provincial, or federal) planning business activity, rather than the free market. I believe it’s called Communism, and as my friends Sergei, Demetri, and Boris will attest to, it’s been tried on a large scale, and it sucks.
It’s fine for everyone to spout off about what the world should look like, but very few actually take the time to consider the logistics and challenges involved with creating their utopian society.
On a side note; 49th does make kick ass coffee, and now I’m inspired to run a morning batch of it over to the seniors care centre at Sophia and 12th one morning a week.
Well Scott I am sure the seniors would just love you! and I agree, it’s great coffee and architectural wise the building looks fab and really fits in to the look of the community….way better than what Pinky’s looked like not to mention there is no chance of them ruining another dress of mine, but I digress, that is another issue lol.
I just would like to see a little more variety in the types of shops opening up along Main and I understand that alot of people, including myself, would like to do just that (start a small business) but run into the issue of over inflated rents and a volitile time when Vancouver seems to be morphing into a playground for the rich.
I am all for small business, having been a small business owner myslef, I am just a huge advocate for the preservation of Mt Pleasant because of its unique character and have growing concerns of its demise by the allowance of the Rize Development which clearly does not fit into the scope of the Mt Pleasant and reeks of cookie cutter gentrification.
Obviously the area will grow and change but there is a good way to do it and there is a bad way to do it….I just hope the community stands up and fights to help it grow in a good way and does not allow the area to be monopolized by this hard on our mayor has to develop this whole city with tower and podium glass towers. We should not be punished because he and City Hall do not know how to manage the citys finances and Olympic Village fiasco.
As for the daycare/seniors issue I realise what level that it needs to be addressed at and so my concern lies in the lack of accountablility of City Hall to produce documents to show exactly where CAC’s are being distributed in our and other neighbourhoods. It boogles my mind that the City feels they don’t have to produce statements to show where the money is being used….I would hope I am not the only one concerned with this lack of accountability!
Trust me, I am watching very closely where and when the CAC’s the Rize Alliance Development have to produce are used and how. It’s just too bad that the cash ammenity that is supposed to be for the citizens in their community does not allow for public input. That is left up to City Hall and that is where my concern is especailly since Vision seems to have blinders on.
Waylon are you a partner in the 49th business the way you are so staunchly defensive everytime I comment about it? because you call me dellusional but then turn around and predict what type of business they run and forsee the future of their enterprise….
FYI talk about calling the kettle black….you better reread some of your posts Waylon where you take a swing or two at others before you point a finger at someone else, and I stand by my comment, you are being ignorant when all I am is voicing a concern about much needed Daycare and Senior facilities, both very important issues and the best you can do is slag me for not being excited yet another coffee shop is opening……..reflect a momment on that won’t you and then ask who is lashing out at whom.
I do not care one bit if you are excited about a new coffee shop or not. You are missing the point. A new coffee shop simply has nothing to do with Mount Pleasant needing more care facilities!
Anyway, enough of this! A wise women once said “arguing with a fool proves there are two.”
Kinda weird name choice…there’s already a store on Main Street called Lucky’s, been there a long time too. luckys.ca
Waylon, I don’t care if you don’t care……..my comments revolve around the concept of having what seems to be a ridiculous amount of coffee shops within a few blocks in a single neighbourhood.
I think a more important issue is why are coffee shops everywhere and many other stores closing their doors? Every coffee shop along Main is a chain in the sense that they have multiple shops throughout Vancouver, none of the (except Kafka’s) are independant shops.
I am concerned that individual small business entrepreneurs are having such a difficult time staying in business due to rising costs and I worry that soon we will only see larger store chains cropping up in Mt Pleasant because they will be the only ones who can afford the rent.
This is not the type of gentrification that would continue to keep Mt Pleasant interesting and different than alot of areas in Vancouver and its why alot of people, including myself, live here.
If you wish to continue to be a hypocrite (you imply I am a fool but dislike when I address you in a similar manner, seriously?) so be it, but if you love Mt Pleasant as it is and for what it is then I would like to suggest you spend less time taking cheap shots at me and more time investing in the future of your neighbourhood.
Hi Michelle,
49th Parallel is not a chain. This is their 2nd store and it sure looks like their look and construction will suit the area very well. Also employing many local Mount Pleasant residents.
From reading above it looks like they are also selling food that is not available in the area currently. The business that was there was a dry cleaning place that employed no one from the area and looked like an eye sore.
What constitutes a chain in your mind? Surely you can not be comparing them with Starbucks, JJ ( more than 10 locations), 7-11, Waves, Tim Hortons, etc., etc., The owner is from East Van and has deep roots to the community. I agree with a lot of what you say but I think you’re making the wrong example of this company. Hopefully this is not what you intended to communicate especially since they are not even close to being a large public company and chain.
I see another consignment/used clothing store has opened up at Main and 17th. Just what we need, another consignment/used clothing store!!
how about this novel idea, build something the community really needs like daycare, housing for seniors, affordable artist space, affordable housing…..
Michelle S.
Because you desire more government subsidized services on Main, you object to a 100% locally owned business leasing a previous derelict space, employing a 100% local contractor (who employed all local sub-trades & labour) to transform it into a place of Beauty (using green materials like locally reclaimed timbers & recycled bricks from the old Woodward’s building) where they serve hand-crafted doughnut’s made from locally sourced whole ingredients AND locally roasted ethically grown coffee??? You, my friend, are unbelievable. Wow.
[As an aside, JJ Bean is also a 100% locally owned & operated business… success doesn’t equal sellout.]
Amenities on Main – please do me a favour and don’t put words into my mouth…I never said I object or do not support local business, in fact I predominantly shop along Main St. at the smaller independant shops.
Not only that but I am an advocate for keeping Mt Pleasant unique and from being transformed into another ‘cookie cutter’ neighbourhood so lay off the accussations and focus on what I was really saying.
Reread my comments and get back to me with a more informed response or lay off the caffeine my friend as it clearly distorts your interpretation of the facts.
Thank you.
“you seems pleased that Starbucks is gone but how much better is the idea of another coffee shop opening up when they know damn well there are a dozen already in the area? a very Starbucks move if you ask me and seems rather hypocritical of an entrepreneur to open a business that threatens the livelyhood of another.
Starting to feel like Yaletown around here and that my friend is not necessarily a good thing…..variety is the spice of life, remember?”
– Michelle S of Mt Pleasant, May 4, 2011
TOO MUCH COFFEE somebody needs to switch to Sanka and stop pushing their agenda as the lifestyle and colour of the day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXbp9Ke20xY
/// michelle \\\ talking to you!
@ chocolate lover
Like I said before, very misguided set of priorities out there in today’s society based on the comments here……if you are able to get so up in arms about someone commenting on the ridiculous amount of coffee shops per square foot in your neighbourhood as oppossed to what is really needed…….just saying 🙂
In support independent Vancouver based businesses? Then remove the off-topic, anti-mayor, anti-city council, anti-business (big, small, local, corporate or otherwise), and lack-of-social-services whinge and welcome 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters & Lucky’s Doughnuts to Mt. Pleasant.
@Amenities on Main
Once again I ask…..how is it so many people can be missing the bigger picture?
Ask yourself this….if you owned a coffee shop and were doing reasonably well, how impressed would you be if every few months yet another coffee shop opened up just a few blocks away?
My point is I cannot respect a company that opens up knowing full well it has the likely hood of hurting another similar business. Some may argue its business and to not take it personally but having been a small business owner in the past I can understand the stress and financial burden this puts on the existing coffee shops and how 49th’s move reeks of a Starbucks manouver.
So please ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ and understand where my comments are coming from and again, stop twisting my words to suit your thought process.
For the umpteenth time ‘I am not against local/small business’ but I am against a business that we don’t need and that hurts other similar business’s. There was/is a multitude of other locations that 49th could have opened up in and been successful yet they chose a neighbourhood that already is inundated with coffee shops.
Get it yet?
Since JJ Bean opened (directly across from Starbucks) in April ’05, it’s consistently full – finding a table there is always a challenge, if not impossible.
The high cost of housing (which has most Vancouverites living in smaller spaces) has made large scale cafe’s (which Starbucks is not) an extension of our living space; a place to connect with friends & community for a relatively low cost.
49th Parallel adds another local, ethical, beautiful choice to our neighbourhood. They’re open, they’re busy & table space at JJ is still scarce.
“how is it so many people can be missing the bigger picture?”
“I am against a business that we don’t need and that hurts other similar business’s”
maybe “so many people” aren’t the ones who are missing the bigger picture.
maybe 49th are friends and respected peers of the other independent coffee shops on Main Street that you purport to speak for.
let’s see:
https://twitter.com/Kafkascoffeetea/status/210466063626940416
https://twitter.com/JJBeanCoffee/status/203609497011363840
https://twitter.com/JJBeanCoffee/status/211188001349435393
maybe independent businesses support one another. maybe this is true community, what you want yet what you complain about. maybe Main Street dwellers like having a multitude of good independent coffee options. maybe the more the merrier. maybe strength in numbers.
maybe some people don’t assume they know what’s best for everyone else.
@ Amenities
This one is gonna shock you :), but I agree with you in viewing coffee shops as extensions of social networks and local hangouts. It’s a shame that Vancouver is so unjustifiably overpriced but that is another topic of discussion 🙂
@ Andi
Have you ever been a small business owner? trust me, this will impact some of them in a negative way…..I have seen less and less people at the other coffee shops lower down on Main that used to be packed so trust me, I am looking at this situation with eyes wide open.
And do you really think that competitiors would go on twitter and tweet negatively about another business?
I do hope that I am incorrect and that all of these business’s survive, but it is niave to think that some of them will not suffer because of too much competition. I ammerely offering this view point, playing devils advocate if you wish….you don’t have to agree or like it but you cannot argue that it is not a legitimate concern.
The role of coffee shops on Main Street is the point of this discussion – not social services, city zoning, Vision Vancouver, or the Rize development.
Comments on this tread have mislabelled 100% local businesses as nasty assimilating corporate chains. The lack of table space in any of Main Street’s numerous independent cafés indicates that Mt. Pleasant can support (is in fact in need of) another beautiful independent space.
An argument based on false off-topic rambling does not make anyone a devil’s advocate.
Michele: I’m really surprised at your fear of competition. Your comments states:
“My point is I cannot respect a company that opens up knowing full well it has the likely hood of hurting another similar business.”-
That’s absurd. It’s called free enterprise/Capitalism, and while it’s not perfect, it’s by far the best system we have. I am a small business owner (and I live 2 blocks away from 49th Parallel). There are very few barriers to entry in my line of work and I constantly have new competitors popping up. If they think that they can take business away from me by offering a better product/service, then they’re welcome to try; it’s part of what keeps me on my game, which in turn ensures my clients get the best possible from my company.
Imagine your ideal world… if an existing product or service is already in place, consumers should not respect/support new comers?! If existing businesses were sheltered like that, don’t you think that just breeds laziness and a lack of innovation?
Competition is extremely healthy and should be encouraged. It helps ensure that businesses work hard for our dollar, it promotes innovation, and keeps prices in check.
I’m a regular at JJ Bean, but have been into 49th a few times and really like the place; I’ll probably visit both. Perhaps this will prompt JJ Bean to finally get wi-fi!
Sounds exciting. Fresh Donuts!!!! Can not wait for fresh Donuts!!!! Better than Tim Hortons “Always Fresh” but actually frozen donuts that has been defrosted so that it will be fresh when you need it to go with your cup of joe.
Last autumn I went to a wonderful coffee joint near Concordia U in Montreal called Myriade. Surprisingly, the coffee came from a company called 49th Parallel in Vancouver. Not being a Kitsilano person, I never knew about 49th Parallel until I visited Myriade. Myriade had the best sipping chocolate and the best coffee! With all of the gnashing of teeth above, , I have come to the realization that I should get my butt down to 49th Parallel and give them some business!
ugh this thread is so mainstreety
Wow.. so after reading this thread… all I can say is.
Yay gourmet doughnuts and good coffee.
And Michelle S of Mt Pleasant.. I’m sure you’ll reply with an unneccessarily long comment which tries to show how much you know and is long-winded but really doesn’t have a lot to say blah blah blah OMG
Point is.. just stfu and enjoy the doughnuts.
And yes. I know I’m not being mature. And yes, I know there’s a good possibility you won’t have a long response since I called you out on it.
Happy Friday everyone 🙂
Graeme….everyone is entitled to thier opinion……including me, if you don’t like what I have to say fine, but at the very least come at me with something more substantial than your aggressive feedback that really does not say anything at all except that you know how to write an immature comment.
I suggest you stuff your face with donuts and stfu if you cannot at the very least contribute with something more than a rant.
Happy Friday back at you 🙂
I love the design of the cafe. Do you know who did the work?