A popular B.C.-founded coffee chain is about to open its first North Vancouver location, and it's boasting some products inspired by the North Shore.
On Friday (March 25), 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters will officially open its fifth location at 93 Lonsdale Ave. in North Vancouver, occupying a space in a heritage building that was most recently a Waves Coffee House but traces its roots to an early-1900s hardware store.
You can’t buy hammers or nails there now, but you can order up a cup of North Shore coffee – a limited edition brew produced on a farm in Honduras and roasted in small batches at 49th Parallel’s roastery in Vancouver – and dig into a monstrous doughnut known as the Mountain Highway.
One of the popular perks of the 49th Parallel chain is its association with Lucky’s Doughnuts, a sister company that produces pastries that are made on-site and are only sold in 49th Parallel coffee shops. The Mountain Highway is a suitably large limited-edition doughnut created by executive chef Karly Pomes. It’s filled with pastry cream made with the North Shore coffee roast, topped with chocolate ganache and candied pecans and capped by a towering mountain made of marshmallow.
“It’s inspired by the North Shore, driving around the city with your coffee,” said Pomes.
There are a numerous other doughnuts available for those who aren’t interested in scaling marshmallow mountain, including a few other big guys like the lemon meringue Bismark or peanut butter and jelly, as well as some slimmer offerings such as the salted caramel old fashioned or a classic French cruller.
The 49th Parallel folks are hoping that their shop will be a worthy addition to a bustling neighbourhood with strong historical ties.
“The Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood is steeped in history,” said Geraint James, cafés director at 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters. “We wanted to honour the neighbourhood with a café and gathering place that reflects its past while the community can experience firsthand what makes 49th Parallel a west coast favourite.”
The café officially opens at 8 a.m. Friday, March 25.
