A dream becomes real
Nuestra Coffee Shop offers treats, arts, and community
JEFF WOODWARD
If your travels have taken you along 112 Avenue next to Borden Park, you might have noticed a cozy-looking new business tucked into the Virginia Park neighbourhood on the corner of 76 Street. Nuestra Coffee Shop, which opened back in November, is the culmination of a dream that partners Nichola Hildebrand and Antonio Velasquez have spent years planning and working towards.
They have transformed a modest little spot that was originally a body shop, and most recently a tile and flooring store into a warm, inviting space that feels much bigger than it actually is. Velasquez got his start in the coffee business many years ago at the much loved Leva Cafe in Garneau, working as a barista. He immediately took to the social nature of the job and loves “being able to visit and check in with people as part of doing my job.” Hildebrand comes from a psychology background and really enjoyed the challenge of applying her training to making the mood of the space at Nuestra reflect their vision.
And what a vision it is, too! Interestingly, in a 30-minute conversation, neither Hildebrand nor Velasquez ever referred to Nuestra as a coffee shop or cafe. Instead, the term “community” kept coming up. They describe their goal for the business for it to become “a meeting place and community hub for people in the neighbourhood,” and “your one-stop shop for local.” This vision is reflected in the name, as Nuestra means “ours” in Spanish. Velasquez asserts that, “while it means ‘ours’ as in, our business, it really means ours as in, ‘it belongs to everyone in the community’.”
This collaborative spirit is reflected in virtually every aspect of the coffee shop. They have a rotating roster of local roasters whose beans will be featured in their drinks, two in-house bakers prepare a growing list of tasty treats that include some of the best gluten-free (GF) pastries this writer has ever tasted. You must try the GF pop tarts! Many of the ceramic mugs used at Nuestra were handmade by Hildebrand who, in her spare time, is a talented ceramicist. The shop has cards, pottery, and other knick-knacks for sale from local artisans. Even the art on the walls comes from friends and is available for purchase.
Nuestra hosted its first official community event earlier in February, a meet-and-greet for local artists to forge connections, but it’s not the only opportunity. “There’s already informal groups meeting in the shop. A knitting club, book clubs. It’s wonderful,” notes Hildebrand.
Their hope, and the hope of many of the residents of the neighbourhood is that Nuestra becomes a focal point for the community.
Nuestra
7601 112 Ave
7 am - 4 pm Monday to Friday
9 am - 5 pm on the weekend
We needed a coffee shop in our area. Best wishes to this convenient cafe… across the street from Borden Park. See you there!