matchstick

matchstick will forever have a place in my heart.

back when specialty coffee wasn’t a big thing yet in vancouver, and i didn’t even know anything about it, matchstick was a cool place to just go and hang. my first visit was at their original location on fraser street. i would grab a coffee and cookie, and head next door to spool of thread to check out fabrics for my little pocket square side business. that was a fun thing i’d do that distracted myself from life’s stresses. then i discovered their chinatown location, which then became my new fav location. not only was it closer to home, but it was bigger and had more seating, so i was always guaranteed a spot.

fast forward a year or so, i was transitioning my work situation. i found myself going to matchstick often, just to chill, brainstorm, and work on different projects. staff was always nice and friendly, the coffee was always amazing, oh, and they serve beer, for those days. even when i wasn’t at matchstick, i would buy matchstick beans to make coffee at home, my favourite was their catalogue and bulldog. they just couldn’t get rid of me haha. then, wifey and i decided to move to mexico city, and all i’d have is the memories of going to one of my favorite spots in the city.

life in mexico wasn’t the easiest in the beginning, it was hard to figure things out and settle into our apartment. in the meantime, i scoped out new coffee shops here in the city, and man oh man, there are some good spots, which then motivated me to start my instagram page and blog. i’d message coffee shops and ask if they wanted to meet up, enjoy a coffee and just chat, hearing about their story, why they opened, what motivates them, and why they love coffee so much, and then i’d write about it on my blog. so when we were making plans to come back to Van for a visit, i decided, why not? why not message some of my favorite coffee shops i frequented in Van. And just my luck, i got an email back from matchstick, and i couldn’t have been happier, they were open to meeting up. what i truly appreciated was that despite how busy they might’ve been, they made time for the little guy.

so, i met up with ayla at their riley park location. different from their first two shops, this one is modern with clean lines, and bright with natural light. i’d actually go to this location when i dropped off my car to get maintained. how do they conveniently have a location wherever i need them?? ayla is an OG at matchstick, she was one of the firsts when they started, now she’s the retail manager and goes from shop to shop checking things out and making sure everything is running smooth. she’s super awesome, and friendly, sweet and kind. i could tell she was busy, but still made time to chat and tell me more about matchstick, how it started, plans to open their fifth location, and the story behind their fun new bags! she loves her job, you can tell by the way she talks about it. thats the culture matchstick tries to develop, you can see it in the way they handle their business, down to the baristas. after our chat, she sent me home with some beans. now she’ll forever have a place in my heart.

its a nice feeling, for a little guy like me, to hear back from one of your favs. could be anything really, a coffee shop, artist, someone you admire on ig, it shows how connected this world can still be. yes, we’re all busy, but just taking 30 mins out of your day to chill, enjoy a coffee, and chat like humans, is nice. i encourage all to try it.

i also encourage you to go to one of matchsticks locations, or all of them, they’re all uniquely different, but all beautiful in their own specific ways. enjoy a coffee, they’re fantastic. oh, and get a cookie. ok, thats enough of me. just go!