V.I.A.’s Home Grown features only the most awesome companies in Vancouver. From tiny, single-person operations to the big players, we profile our favourite businesses and interview their owners.

MINI Yaletown Established 2002 www.miniyaletown.ca

Originally introduced to the world on August 26th of 1959, the day of this posting marks the 50th birthday for the iconic MINI company! MINI Yaletown opened it’s doors in 2002 when MINI re-launched to the world as the ‘New MINI’ and has become a cornerstone in the MINI Canada dealer network, leading the West coast in sales and customer satisfaction. Aside from that, the most awesome thing about the company might be that their cars have 5 star crash ratings and are some of the most fuel efficient on the market, sparing Vancouver’s air of harmful emissions.

We caught up with MINI Yaletown’s sales manager, Chris Ongkiko, for a few questions…

If MINI is known for only one thing amongst it’s customers, what would it be?

Excitement. MINI is the most emotional car out there. It’s not only a car. It’s an internationally recognized cultural icon.

Aside from yours, whats your favourite Vancouver business, and why?

You have to love the underdog. I have several favorites, but I think I’d single out Chill Winston. Besides the fact it’s my favorite spot for Sunday brunch or an after work wind down, they’ve really filled a niche in Vancouver.

What’s in store for the company in the future?

We have some exciting things in happening in the immediate future. We’ve obtained the exclusive franchise for Rolls Royce Motor Cars in Vancouver. In a further commitment to environmental concerns, and cutting edge products, watch for Fisker Automotive (http://karma.fiskerautomotive.com/) joining our company’s arsenal in early 2010.
On the MINI front, keep an eye out for showroom improvements and new products.

What keeps you here? Like whats the best thing about Vancouver?

I’ve been all over the world, to some of the most beautiful places you can imagine. What makes Vancouver so incredible is the people. Because of the climate and beauty of our city, we get inspired Canadians and elite imported personalities making Vancouver their home. There’s no other place in the world that offers this perfect marriage of Canadian charm and international flare. It seems like anyone who comes here wants to carve out a piece of paradise for themselves. The rewards we all reap are a diverse community with unlimited potential and worldly resource.

www. miniyaletown.ca