49th Parallel Coffee & Tea
49th Parallel Coffee Roasters is a coffee and tea company founded in 2004 by brothers, Vince & Michael Piccolo. Now with three cafes, a tea sourcing program and a doughnut shop called Lucky’s, Vancouver’s 49th Parallel is an exceptional company valuing relationships with producers to ensure the they are able to serve the highest quality coffee and tea available. We spoke to Gianluca Zavarise about 49th, Vancouver, and 49th’s coffee and tea sourcing.
Photo courtesy of 49th Parallel
City & Cafe
Photo courtesy of 49th Parallel
Vancouver, British Columbia is home to an exceptional coffee community, and 49th leads the pack. Each 49th Cafe has its own Lucky’s Doughnuts and their downtown location currently serves breakfast, burgers, egg sandwiches, and more! But Vancouver is more than just a continuation of the Pacific Northwest’s coffee dominance.
If you make your way to Vancouver, the 49th team recommends a walk or bike ride along Stanley Park, A visit to Grouse Mountain, Lynn Suspension Bridge, and Kitsilano beach or Jericho beach for an evening sunset. For experiencing the city's urban culture, the team recommends checking out Gastown, Robson Street for shopping, Mount Pleasant, Chinatown, or Yaletown.
The Source
Focused on “open communication and strong business partnerships with coffee producers”, 49th seeks to make “financially sustainable [decisions] for all involved – especially for those who make a living growing coffee.”
From their website:
“49th Parallel has two coffee buyers who travel throughout the year to Central America and Africa to source the highest quality coffees. The most cherished thing about the sourcing program is that 49th works with many of the same producers each year, building strong relationships. This not only guarantees the best coffee but also benefits the producers and their communities. 49th pays a premium for these coffees often paying producers 3 to 4 times the commodity market price.”
Coffee farmers in Honduras. Photo courtesy of 49th Parallel
We’re serving Ecuador Gilda Carrascal and Ethiopia Mesina as well as a new green tea, Yellow Mountain Tip. It’s easy to taste the intentionality and care 49th Parallel puts into its offerings. Stop by the shop and try them before they’re gone!
