It is almost a year now since my mom quit her stable job in Calgary at Safeway and started up her own little cafe in Yaletown, The Raging Bean. It's been a crazy year with ups and downs but overall I think it has worked out very well for Mom. She is much happier working for herself...despite the long hours. She has a great rapport with her customers. Most of her clientele are regulars who come partly for the quality (which is outstanding) but partly for companionship because she really does care about people.
We set her up with the best products I could find. Intelligentsia Coffee was the best tasting and voted top roaster many times over. We brought in grounds for coffee Cinnamon Buns. They are so good that they are famous in Cambodia (true story). She bakes the chewiest cookies and the healthiest muffins sweetened with love and honey every morning. Her authentic Italian panini sandwiches are addictive with cool ingredients like eggplant and artichoke hearts topped with sharp Italian cheeses like Provolone and Havarti. Mom has her own secret frappe recipe...to die for. We brought in mighty leaf tea, which is top of the line loose tea in a silk bag. Oh, and our Matcha. It is a top grade organic matcha. it's the real deal from Japan, not China. Our is unsweetened and perfectly picked from the top of the bush. We do our Matcha traditionally, as a latte, iced or blended. Belgium waffles from Patisserie Lebeau and Bagels from none other the Siegel's Bagels, possibly the best bagels in the world. All of the product is Vancouver's best and our motto is if we wont eat it then we wont sell it.
So, mom is happy with great products, great customers. It's a recipe for success.
