Penticton's newest coffee shop is now open.
It's called One14 Coffee Co., and it's run by Pentictonites and good buddies Katie Hurley and Laura Chapman, both already well known throughout the city for their event equipment rental service Ellie Wylde Design Co.
But the real good news is that in a town where so much seems to close up when the cold weather comes, One14 Coffee Co. plans to stay open nine hours a day, seven days a week, right through the winter and beyond.
As a bonus, consider that it’s centrally located too – a half-minute drive from the key intersection of Hwy 97 and Fairview Road in an area where coffee shops are a rarity.
There's just one potential challenge. One14 Coffee Co. is situated deep inside the Cannery Trade Centre. It has no drive-thru. Nor does it even have a street sign, though that'll be remedied soon enough. Still, it's not exactly in the face of drivers and passers-by.
Hurley and Chapman realize this. They didn’t come into the opportunity with their eyes closed. They know that to succeed, they'll initially need patronage not only from other Cannery businesses and customers, but from those in other nearby businesses in their (mostly) industrial area.
And they hope that once word starts to spread about their cool setup and great tastes, everyone else will show up too.
Fortunately, they have the support of the entire Cannery gang – the thought being that if One14 Coffee Co. succeeds, more people will hang out in a building with a lot of stellar businesses and a cool retro vibe but quiet interior passageways.
We dropped by One14 Coffee Co. – so named because it's located in Unit #114 -- this past weekend when the Cannery held its 2023 Christmas Craft Market, and the shop was easily one of the busiest destinations.
"We opened three weeks ago and it’s been awesome," smiled Katie Hurley between orders. "Business has been good and the community has been really receptive and really supportive."
We were struck by the 50s-meets-Miami Vice atmosphere of the place. By the pastels and the modern guise and the throwback flourishes.
Hurley and Chapman told us that's the image they were after when we previewed their biz in May. And they've certainly lived up to their prognostications.
The serving area at the front of the shop is not particularly big at maybe 150 square feet, but there's much more room in the back, where there's enough space for two bakers and their gear.
One is Dana Ewart, who sells her wares at places like the Penticton Farmer's Market. The other is Heather Jefferys of "Handful," who creates goodies not only for her own biz but is also the baker of note for One14.
Sometime in the next few months there'll be a 20-plus seat café back there too, though right now customers can grab a seat out front in the passageway, where Hurley and Chapman have used a dozen chairs, a few small tables and assorted bits and pieces to create a bistro atmosphere.
As for beverages and bites, Hurley summed up the current menu succinctly.
"We serve all the coffee drinks," she said. "And we've got Blume, a coffee alternative, and several teas, one of which is grown in Osoyoos.
"We have fresh baked goods from our baker and charcuteries to go and we'll be getting into sandwiches and soups in the next little while."
PentinctonNow published a big story in May of this year on what we felt was a female-led renaissance at the venerable Cannery Trade Centre, and front and centre was the One14 crew.
And now with their vision come to fruition, that renaissance is hard to deny. Alexis Esseltine at Tin Whistle Brewing, Carla O'Bee at Speckled Row (pottery studio), Yvonne King at Black Magic Fabrics, Jessie Brennan at Donut House Studios, Leanne Nash and René Mehrer at 4th Meridian Art & Auctions and Hurley and Chapman – all at least somewhat newish and all in charge of hip, fresh businesses.
"It (a coffee shop that's open nine hours a day, seven days a week) is an amazing thing for the Cannery," said Hurley. "We're trying to increase the traffic in the building and we want people to know they can come to us any day and not have to guess if were open.
"As for signage, we don’t have any yet. So we'll work on some sandwich boards and talk to the owner of the Cannery building to see if we can get a sign out front. They're very supportive too."
You'll find One14 Coffee Co. inside the Cannery Trade Centre at 1475 Fairview Rd., near the middle of the complex in unit #114. For more info, head to their Facebook page here.
