It’s In the blood: FROM Small VictorieS to a marinaside dream come true
Vancouver’s picturesque Marinaside Crescent has a new neighbor joining established breakfast favourites, Provence and OEB. This latest opening marks a dream come true for a beloved bakery, celebrating more than 10 years of elevating mornings and afternoons across the city.
Small Victory, a staple of Vancouver’s café and bakery scene, is known for exquisite pastries, artisanal bread, and uplifting coffee. Last week marked a milestone expansion for the bakery—opening their latest shopfront— that for co-owner, Qasim Nathoo, has been a long-standing ambition. ”We've always wanted a project on the water, so we're really excited to to be a part of this neighborhood.”
Over a decade ago Small Victory opened in Yaletown—a family venture by siblings Qasim, Afshan, Zakhir Nathoo. Their focus was on creating an authentic neighborhood bakery featuring artisanal breads, croissants and quality coffee. Many years later and that recipe hasn’t changed. Now up to four locations across Vancouver and Burnaby, the siblings continue to experiment and test new ingredients searching for better and better product. But that pursuit operates within the unique context of the neighborhoods they’ve carefully chosen to operate in. “The coffee's constantly changing,” Qasim explains of their dynamic coffee program, “we really try to match what we're serving at each cafe to the neighborhood and the demographic of each neighborhood.”
You can find this principle further reflected in the physical design of each store. The new Marinaside shop is long, open plan with pastries behind an inviting display counter and baristas making coffee right before your eyes on the far side. The colours, patterns and texture reflect a feel of the water False Creek perched just across the road. It has a totally unique and distinct feel to the original Yaletown located store just a few blocks away (which closed last year) and their three other locations. “We really try to look at the neighborhoods that we're in and figure out what type of design or what type of feel do we need to best sort of suit the neighborhood and the people in the neighborhood,” Qasim reiterates.
Quality is in their name. Small Victory was chosen precisely to represent the important daily rituals that put a spring in one’s step—a great cup of coffee or tasty pastry to get the day started, seeing a smiling loved one before you leave for work. This is all comes from moments they shared at home. And as it turns out, it’s in their blood.
As they began their own careers they never thought they would open a bakery together, Afshan will tell you. But it’s hardly a surprise. When their parents immigrated from Kenya in the 70’s they set up a family bakery in Kitsilano. The store was successful, providing baked goods to a number of Vancouver businesses. Which meant that the three siblings grew up around croissants, muffins, breads and more—regularly helping out at the bakery on weekends and after school.
For years the family have shared a beloved Sunday brunch at their parents bakery. One of their very own small victories over the years. These were moments for reflection and laughter, eating well and being happy. But it was also for dreaming. During these moments it was Qasim who spearheaded the idea—kneading, moulding, flipping and flouring the notion over the course of years—of creating the neighborhood bakery that would become Small Victory. A name that reflects how people would feel when they walk into it.
There’s a lot of heart and soul in Small Victory’s which you can feel when you enter any of their shops. Their customers are exceedingly loyal. The acclaimed baguette, crafted with precision and care, is part of the enduring appeal and a testament to Small Victory’s devotion to perfecting the art of baking. The coffee culture the Nathoo’s have curated is just as exciting. The coffee changes constantly and they utilize a variety of roasters from around BC and Canada. Key to the program is a 10 year relationship with the team at Moving Coffee Roasters, based locally in Richmond. Moving Coffee was one of the first relationships they built at the original Yaletown location and you can still taste their beans today in an espresso at any of the four Small Victory locations. Add to the mix a couple roasters from Calgary, one from Northern BC, and a few out East and you can see just how dedicated Qasim and his siblings are to the unending craft of creating a genuine experience for anyone who walks into their store.
The newly minted Marinaside café is their fourth active location and underscores Small Victory’s continued growth—joining existing branches on South Granville, Mt Pleasant, and Burnaby's Amazing Brentwood mall. An additional location is also scheduled to open in North Vancouver later this year, reflecting the thoughtful yet ambitious expansion of the brand.
It’s been less than a week but at Marinaside you’ll already find a throng of customers camped out in seats, with mostly finished cups of coffee perched next to laptops and books, a pleasant chatter in the air, and the door softly opening and closing time after time with the latest take away orders heading off into the world. The success speaks for itself but the the siblings continue to remain invested, with their heart as strong as ever inside the much beloved brand.
“Let me say it again,” Qasim reflects thoughtfully at our recent Mates on Crates interview, “at our core, I'd say we're a neighborhood bakery.”
After opening on Marinaside we can’t wait to visit their upcoming North Vancouver location later this year and see their interpretation of Small Victory in the buzzing north shore neighborhood.
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