– by Lara Gladych –
This is the first in a four-part series showcasing some of the unique local shops and services the Saanich Peninsula has to offer.
Alice Bacon and her husband and partner John Carswell are the owners of Brentwood Bay Village Empourium. They opened earlier this summer, and have barely had a moment to sit down since.
The Empourium is a unique café and shop, meant to be reminiscent of the small town general store of days gone by. Alice and John want you to come in for a coffee and perhaps something to eat, but they want you to stay too, for a visit with a friend, and to browse their retail section and find something special.
Alice and John didn’t approach opening a new business with whimsy. It was quite the opposite. They were adamant about bringing to the community something that people really wanted. And so their research began. They took to the streets to talk to, and survey, the locals in Brentwood Bay. They heard three things over and over again: people wanted a place to go for good coffee, a place to buy gifts, and a place to meet friends.
The Empourium is the culmination of all they heard. As the concept came together, they opened pop-up stores where people could sample their beverages, food, and some of the retail too. They keenly took note of how customers responded to everything.
“Learning how to do things right means learning how to listen to customers,” the two agree. When they serve a drink at the espresso bar, for example, they watch people’s facial expressions and they ask them questions about how they like what they’re drinking. They want to make sure that they’re doing things right.
Alice and John have created a delicious menu of breakfast and lunch foods, using locally sourced meats, breads and greens. The daily panini and Empourium Egg are a surprise every day. They make as much as they can themselves, mostly to cut out anything artificial. I’m thoroughly impressed that they make their own beverage syrups from scratch.
On the retail side of things, Alice and John carry the wares of local artisans from whom they buy directly. They sell Linnea jewelry and greeting cards, and Jody’s Naturals soaps, and new in the fall will be samples of merino wool clothing by High Road, and also Salish Fusion pieces by the Olsens.
“Interesting and comfortable” are adjectives that Alice finally settles upon when I ask her to give me some defining words. Come in, have a beverage and something to eat, sit with your friends for a visit, and have a browse of their lovely, local giftware. That’s what the Empourium is all about. “Eat. Drink. Browse.”
Brentwood Bay Village Empourium is located in Trafalgar Square, #12-7103 West Saanich Rd. Call 778.351.0178. You can also keep up with them on Facebook.
