What do you get when you combine great coffee with high quality doughnuts? Answer: the worst kept secret in town.
I’ve been busily working away at preparing to open the second café for 49th Parallel, which will feature doughnuts under the brand of “Lucky’s Doughnuts”. Why doughnuts you say? Why not?!
The idea of doing doughnuts began stewing in 2007 when 49th owner Vince Piccolo and I began traveling to some of the coffee trade shows in the States. Every town that we went to had a quality doughnut shop where we would go in the morning to pick up a box of doughnuts to take to our coffee booth. This will be our attempt to create that same marriage between coffee and doughnut here in Vancouver.
For the project I have traded in my barista’s apron for a chef’s jacket. After our trips in 2007 I began to take pastry classes in America with a specific emphasis on doughnuts. Back home we’ve utilized the talents of pastry chef Dawne Gourley to develop our own doughnut recipes. Dawne has worked as a pastry chef for many years creating recipes for Bishop’s, Giovane and currently serves as the brand director for David Hawksworth’s Bel Café.
Here is a link to Dawne’s blog: here
The space is located at 13th and Main Street and is shaping up quite beautifully. The reclaimed wood and Gastown brick are a departure from the very polished look of the 4th avenue location. Vince has taken the reigns in creating a beautiful cafe, starting with the neon sign that we just put up out front.
We anticipate to open in late May/ early June.
2902 Main Street | Vancouver
Tel: (604) 872-4901
~ Colter Jones
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
but will there be VEGAN doughnuts?
Good question. I have thought about trying a vegan product but I honestly don’t know where to start. A couple of the girls that I’ve hired have experience with both vegan and gluten-free baking so perhaps they can teach me a trick or two. If we do add a vegan item it will be further down the road AND it has to be delicious. Typically the way to accomplish that is to substitute the fats and add extra oil to moisten the finished product. There is a place in Seattle called Mighty O’s that makes the best vegan doughnut that I’ve ever tried, but I don’t enjoy their product as much as other select quality doughnut shops around the US. Ultimately I have to enjoy and be proud of the products that I serve so I won’t release a vegan product until we’ve found a killer recipe… that said I’m open to the idea and have tried a few vegan recipes with mixed results.
talk to the girls at Vegan Pizza
I appreciate when a person and/or company decides what they want to be great at and they go for it. Not to say vegan donuts are not worthwhile but it’s not necessarily advisable for a shop to carry a wide variety of products, only to dilute their main effort. It’s not like I walk into vegan bakeries asking for buttercream frosting…
Speaking to some of the folks “who know”, they will indeed have a wide selection of vegan donuts from Day 1, including a signature Kale Krunch and Tofu-glazed. YVR vegans are in good hands.
No vegan donuts yet :’( but they have plans for the coming months :-) great space. All involved should be proud
OOOH – are you going to get some crazy toppings like Voodoo Donuts in Portland? I love the Bacon Maple Ale Doughnut!