It's about midday on a Tuesday and there have been a stream of customers stepping inside the new Mon Paris café in Vancouver's Olympic Village. The counter is packed with eye-catching and colourful treats, like macarons, and individual cakes in an array of hues. The adjacent case has rows of golden, flaky French pastries, including powdered sugar-dusted almond croissants and even a hybrid cookie croissant.
Mon Paris owner Elena Krasnova is behind the counter, tending to one of many tasks that comes with business ownership. The new shop, the second Mon Paris in Metro Vancouver, has been open about a week, but already many of the folks coming in for a bite of lunch, a latte, or a sweet treat are making repeat visits.
One excited treat-seeker is keen to try something different than she had the other day. Another calls out well-wishes to Krasnova and welcomes her to the neighbourhood.
"I have quite a few regulars," Krasnova tells me when we sit down to chat. "There are lots of people living upstairs who saw I was opening and then they have kept coming back. I already know a few of them."
Mon Paris began in Burnaby in 2017
The Mon Paris name is likely familiar to many in Metro Vancouver. Krasnova opened the first Mon Paris in 2017 in Burnaby, and says she was quite content to stick with the one location, until she happened to learn the space at 1731 Manitoba St in Olympic Village was available.
"Another cake shop was here and they wanted out of the lease," Krasnova explains.
Krasnova took the leap to expand and made fairly quick work of the renovation process. Fortunately, the previous business had a few elements that Krasnova could keep, including some of the wall decor. The display case was all set up, and even the shelving by the windows worked for Mon Paris; it so happens that the fixtures are from the same company that supplied shelves for the Burnaby Mon Paris.
While the new Vancouver Mon Paris is the same square footage as the Burnaby shop, Krasnova points out that the key difference is what made opening a second location in this space so desirable. The new Mon Paris has a small kitchen but room up front for tables and chairs to seat up to 20 guests.
Coming soon: Special filled croissants
To that end, much of the production still happens in the bigger Burnaby kitchen (where the shop has no customer seating). For instance, the lamination machine needed to make those buttery, flaky, crispy croissants is at the Burnaby shop, so the initial process happens there with the unbaked croissants transported to Olympic Village to be baked off.
Krasnova adds that her goal is to start having special croissant flavours as weekly specials in Olympic Village; Burnaby's weekends-only Lemon Meringue croissant has a bit of a cult following already.
However, there's space to make desserts at the new shop, like the best-selling Earl Grey and Lemon cake and the beautiful cake that looks like a perfect peach. Mon Paris Olympic Village also has a new menu addition: A selection of sandwiches on house-made baguettes, in options like a Reuben (with melted cheese and tangy mustard) or B.C. salmon.
Seating available for lunch, drinks, and treats
Krasnova is excited to be able to welcome guests to the new shop and offer them a casual lunch option with their sandwiches, and, for those who wish to linger, ample seating.
Those in search of whole cakes from the Mon Paris menu can now take advantage of online pre-ordering, with the option to pick up in Olympic Village or the original Burnaby shop.
The Vancouver location of Mon Paris is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Follow Mon Paris on Instagram: @monparis.ca.
Video: Checking out the new Mon Paris café in Olympic Village
@forkingawesomevia Mon Paris has opened a beautiful new café in Vancouver in Olympic Village! You’ll find all their signature pastries, cakes, and macarons — plus coffee, baguette sandwiches, and cozy seating. A perfect spot to treat yourself (and yes, the cookie croissant is calling). #forkingawesome #vancouverbc ♬ French Cafe Music - Piano Jazz Calming Music Academy
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