Vancouver's new takeout coffee and pastry window is a tucked away delight

The term “hidden gem” is often thrown around in the Vancouver dining scene, sometimes a little haphazardly. Whether it’s a hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop shop that’s been serving standout eats for years or the latest speakeasy to grace the city, it’s easy to loop in your favourite restaurant as a “hidden gem.” However, we believe we may have discovered a true hidden gem in the city that you should be aware of, called Banister Provisions.

Co-owned by Monroe Webb and Myra Maston, you won’t find a big dining space at Banister Provisions. Heck, you won’t even find a door to enter. Instead, Banister is a walk-up takeout window operating out of the side of Hero’s Welcome.

It’s received the most acclaim for its sandwiches (and we think rightfully so), alongside its selection of fresh-baked bread, house-made pastries, and some standout drip coffee.

Sweet and savoury bites

The baked goods are provided by Myra Matson, a name you might recognize from her time at Beyond Bread and the now-closed Ubuntu Canteen.

Matson has created a stellar lineup of tasty, sweet, and savoury goodies with a focus on making items that lend themselves well to a takeout window.

“At the beginning, we just wanted things that were not sticky,” she said with a laugh. “We want stuff that’s easy to carry and fast to pack up, like a coffee cart.”

From there, Matson began to expand the menu, offering a selection of brownies, cookies, and pop tarts made with seasonal ingredients (during our visit, they were using local strawberries).

“Honestly, it’s a lot of what I really just want to make,” said Matson. “Monroe gives me a lot of freedom, so basically it comes down to what I want to make. I don’t like making muffins, so we don’t make muffins here. It’s just as simple as that.”

In addition to these baked goods, Matson makes one killer focaccia, which takes many different forms at Banister. Whether you’re buying it by itself, digging into one of Banister’s sandwiches, or grabbing a slice of focaccia pizza, it’s good no matter how you eat it.

Don’t call it a “cafe”

While Bansiter does offer items you’d expect to find at a cafe, Webb said it isn’t. At least, that’s the distinction that Webb wanted to make when we popped in for a visit, namely, due to the nature of its grab-and-go style takeout window.

“People go to cafes and they sit down and they camp out and they study,” he said. While Banister Provisions does offer limited seating on its outdoor patio, it is weather-dependent.

Additionally, Banister Provisions does not offer espresso beverages.

“I don’t know any cafe that doesn’t have an espresso machine,” he said with a laugh. “We’re really excited to highlight some of the coffee that we’re bringing in and to build out our pour-over program.”

In particular, Banister uses beans from Continuum Coffee Roasters, a brand that Matson loved from her time at Beyond Bread. Having had a cup ourselves, we definitely understand the hype.

One of the perks of operating this takeout window concept is that your food is ready right when you order. The Banister team bags it, hands it to you, and then you’re on your way.

“The concept was very much based on other takeout windows I’ve seen outside of Canada, like in Japan and Taiwan,” said Webb, adding that he had seen some really amazing kinds of quick grab-and-go spaces putting out high-quality goods. Additionally, he also drew inspiration from the New York coffee cart.

“Those coffee carts are able to connect with so many people just going about their day. They’ve got places to be, but still need to grab a snack and a coffee. I love that we’re able to utilize such a small space and make that work while still being able to serve the community.”

Banister Provisions is currently open Friday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Be sure to check its social media for updated hours and seasonal offerings.

Banister Provisions

Address: 3917 Main St., Vancouver

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