Coffee lovers who want more than the drive-thru or quick pick-up experience will soon have a large space to visit in Port Coquitlam's newest neighbourhood.
C Market Coffee, a 75-seat café, will likely be the Tri-Cities' largest when it opens on Saturday, April 9 at 110-820 Village Dr., in Fremont Village.
With high ceilings, natural stone features and mountain views, C Market in PoCo will provide a relaxing space for people to socialize or work on their laptops while drinking a freshly brewed specialty coffee and enjoying a variety of pastries, bowls, sandwiches and other treats.
The 4,000 sq. ft. space will also become the headquarters for C Market Coffee and provide meeting space available for rent, as well as a training centre for the next generation of baristas, coffee brewers and roasters.
"We want to become a community hub," explained director Bridgette Hyun.
This is the second C Market coffee shop to open in the Tri-Cities: In 2019, Hyun opened C Market Roastery and Kitchen in Coquitlam, at 100 Schoolhouse St., where it sparked a devoted following.
Hyun said patrons enjoy the fact that the cafe features locally made products, such as Blume powdered super food teas, AG body products, Infusion soy sauces and Squish Juicery beverages, which are also featured on the C Market website.
Some food products are created at the Gongyou Kitchen, also owned by Hyun. The commissary kitchen is located nearby in PoCo at 1120-950 Seaborne Ave.
Like C Market Roastery and Kitchen, C Market HQ will offer a variety of espresso coffees, specialty coffees, such as Black Salt Cream Coffee, as well as bowls such as the Bulogi Bowl and sandwiches.
But a key component of the new Port Coquitlam café will be the training centre, said Hyun, who is a certified Q Grader.
(An A-quality grader is the wine sommelier equivalent to the coffee industry; they are licensed professionals who are trained to score the quality of roasted coffees. In order to get this license, you have to pass a series of rigorous tests that measure your sensory abilities.)
Hyun said she's awaiting an inspection from the Specialty Coffee Association to be able to open up the training centre.
But when it is open, professionals will be able to take classes in numerous specialties, taught by certified coffee experts.
She also plans to host latte art contests to raise funds for charity, an initiative she introduced prior to the pandemic, to much success, and she wants to host school field trips for students interested in coffee production.
"The more you know about coffee," she said, "the more you want to know."
For now, though, Hyun and her team are planning for the April 9 grand opening, where there will be early-bird gifts for the first guests, and, for the month of April, discounts on some food and drink specialties will be offered.
"We're coffee professionals," Hyun said. "We're trying to bring in more coffee culture to the Tri-Cities."
C Market Coffee at Fremont Village to be open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
