On a cold winter day, a line up is starting to build outside a small shop in a Port Coquitlam industrial park.
Getting into Delish Gluten Free, a specialty bakery offering artisan-crafted desserts and baked goods, is like lining up to get into the hottest ticket in town.
And there’s a good reason for this.
Inside the shop, painted a delightful bright pink, is a counter full of delicious baked goods, from ham-sized scones and cookies to decadent squares, freshly baked bread and baguettes.
Owned by Jenna Fidanza, the bakery, located at 1730 Coast Meridian Rd, has become the go-to spot for people who enjoy the finer things in life.
“We are definitely seeing an interest in our baked goods among the Port Coquitlam community,” said Fidanza, who grew up in Coquitlam and graduated from Pinetree Secondary before becoming a baker.
Now, thanks to the growth of the bakery since it opened in 2013, Delish is expanding.
In late February 2022, Fidanza will open Caffé Delish in Montrose Square, PoCo’s newest development at 2180 Kelly Ave., across from the brand new Port Coquitlam Community Centre.
Customers will be able to sit in comfort in an Italian-style café that features the bakery’s most popular items, including salted caramel brownies, vegan quinoa fudge bars, muffins, scones and cinnamon buns, as well as homemade soups and salads, breakfast wraps, Italian sodas, and, of course, coffee.
With its handy location across from the Terry Fox Town Square, community gardens, playgrounds and outdoor sports courts of the new rec centre, Caffé Delish could become be a popular stop.
The café will even serve soft serve ice cream to those needing a sweet cool treat while the coffee is locally roasted by Terrelli Coffee, a Vancouver-based, family-run business.
Fidanza said she would like to see the café become a lively community space, and long-term plans include serving a light dinner menu.
There will also be patio seating, in addition to the indoor tables, something the bakery on Coast Meridian doesn’t currently offer.
As the holiday rush is underway, Fidanza said she is busy keeping up with the demand, as well as planning the renovations to the 800-square-foot space at Montrose Square while also running her Vancouver location.
However, the Vancouver shop at 2166 East Hastings St. will be closing on Friday (Dec. 24) to enable Fidanza to focus on the Port Coquitlam business.
Having everything local means it will be easier for the four bakers in her Coast Meridian bakery to get the goods to the new shop and ensuring it stays fresh.
Although Fidanza acknowledged she’s sad to let the Vancouver shop go, she’s pleased to be expanding in Port Coquitlam where there are a lot of families and so much growth and interest in good food.
Fidanza has always been interested in baking and was inspired by her grandmother to open a gluten-free bakery.
In fact, the non-wheat flour blend was created by her grandmother, Fidanza said, and is the secret to the rich taste and texture to the baking.
It helps as well that Fidanza married into a large Italian family, which may be the reason why her new café will have a level of sophistication and good food that will appeal to everyone.
To find out when the new café will open, you’re encouraged to follow Fidanza on Instagram (@caffedelishpoco).
