The team behind award-winning restaurants Published on Main and Bar Susu are adding another location to its growing Mount Pleasant portfolio. Novella (2650 Main Street) is slated to officially open in late November, featuring an exciting House of Funk coffee program, daytime menu by chefs Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson and Ash Kurtz, crave-worthy pastries by sugar wizard Aaron Surman of ButterBoom, and a wine program by 2022 BC Sommelier of the Year, Jayton Paul.
Designed by Establishment Interiors, Novella is made for gatherings, working, and dining in the front half of the room, while the back is the perfect place to slink in and linger over a book, put thoughts to paper, and have catch-up sessions with friends – all enjoyed over an exceptional brewed cup of coffee and elevated breakfast and brunch items. The 3,200-square-foot space features 66 seats, curved archways, floral accents, and leather sofas.
“We announced Novella late last year, and are ecstatic to finally open our doors to the neighbourhood,” explains Cody Allmin, co-founder of Boxset Collective, the team behind Published on Main, Bar Susu, the upcoming Novella, Twin Sails Brewing, and Thorn & Burrow Wines. “When we first dreamed up Novella, we asked ourselves what kind of neighbourhood cafe would we want to spend time in? Definitely one with delicious food and a great space. But most importantly, excellent coffee, which is why we have partnered up with our talented friends at House of Funk Roasting.”
Novella’s complete coffee program is run and anchored by North Vancouver’s small batch coffee roastery House of Funk, known for their funky flavour profiles and dedication to pushing people’s palates beyond what they expect from coffee. At Novella, guests will have access to a full coffee bar menu, including its award-winning espresso, Technicolour, rotating drip coffee options for all levels of coffee lovers, cold brew, and limited-edition coffee concoctions. An exclusive Novella x HoF drip is currently in the works.
“Consistency and high-quality coffee are the foundations of a great cafe,” says Ann Hnatyshyn, head coffee roaster, House of Funk Roasting Co. “Therefore, we’ve assembled a team who are passionate about coffee, outfitted the cafe with the best equipment and curated quality beans from around the world in order to execute a world-class coffee program.”
The current daytime menu is a joint, collaborative effort between chefs Stieffenhofer-Brandson and Kurtz, with a specific focus on breakfast and brunch. Highlights include a Novella Yogurt with seabuckthorn, yogurt mousse, seabuck berries, and a hemp/flax heart praline; Turbo Breakfast Sando with fried egg, sausage patty, hash brown patty, smoked cheddar, and custom “turbo” sauce on a potato bun; savoury Steel Cut Oats with wild and cultivated mushrooms, poached egg, and mustard greens; and Pickled Beets with meadowsweet tahini dressing, green apple, watercress, and candied sunflower seeds.
All bread is baked in-house by Ward Van Donselaar, previously sous chef at Bar Susu, while Novella’s pastry cabinet is supplied by ButterBoom.
Guests will eventually also have the chance to browse and shop through Novella’s micro-grocer section, which highlights a selection of curated goods, including housemade sourdough and beloved community brands.
“The partnership between the team at House of Funk and the team behind Published, Bar Susu and Twins Sails has been in the works for quite some time,” adds Darren Hollett, founder and GM of House of Funk Brewing Company. “We are grateful and excited to finally be working alongside one another and expect nothing but quality and innovation in the experience and product we will be serving our customers.”
At launch, Novella will be open Monday to Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
