The team behind one of Vancouver's best coffee shops is launching a bakery — here's a look inside

If you’re a foodie like us, then you’ve likely been paying close attention to the Nemesis team and what they’ve been cooking up.

In the last year, they have launched two new stunning cafes, one in Surrey and the other in Coquitlam, and now, they are gearing up to softly launch a standalone location of their in-house bakery brand, Dope Bakehouse, in North Vancouver.

But you may be wondering, what’s the difference between Dope Bakehouse and the Nemesis we all have grown to love? Especially since Dope Bakehouse has long been a staple at all Nemesis locations. Well, we got an inside look ahead of its soft opening day to tell you everything you can expect.

Nemesis has always been well known for its gorgeous spaces, and Dope Bakehouse is no exception.

Burnt orange is prominently featured in the interior here, with cleverly designed translucent orange curtains wrapping around the store to conceal the less desirable visible parts of the building, such as pipes and vents. The menu board gives a retro vibe with a warm yellow background and dark blue font, which is also reflected in the branding on its boxes and to-go bags.

As for specifics, Dope Bakehouse comes in at 3,000 sq. ft. and features a kitchen facility, 15 seats, and a 24-foot ceiling.

But similar to other Nemesis locations, you can expect standout service, great music, and just a really cool place to hang out.

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When it comes to food, Dope Bakehouse is offering some exclusive goodies only available at this location.

Foccacia is a big focus, one that Nemesis owner Jess Reno told us takes three days to make. It’s used on a variety of pizza-esque focaccia recipes, including a deceptively simple offering, including a San Marzano tomato sauce, garlic, and basil. Not only are they served in slices bigger than the plate, but they are damn good, too.

This focaccia is also used in its line of handhelds. We tried a sandwich with mortadella, pistachio, arugula, ricotta, mascarpone, and honey with this sesame seed foccacia that was a wonderful bite (and it being under $20 doesn’t hurt either).

We also need to take a moment to discuss some of the sweeter additions to the menu, namely the Cardamom Bun.

If you’ve never had a cardamom bun before, picture it like the more sophisticated version of the cinnamon bun. This one had a crisp exterior, soft interior, and the perfect balance of flavour. A must order.

As for the drink side of things, expect to find a more curated and shorter list of beverages than its sister spot, Nemesis. Instead, the menu simply includes “Espresso” with different ways to customize it, either with water, a lil’ milk, a lil’ more milk, lots of milk, or milk and chocolate.

That’s not to say that the team hasn’t done anything exciting with some of its feature drinks. A highlight included the Coco Americano, coconut water with a “secret ingredient” (Reno refused to tell us what it was), topped with this Americano cold foam. Not only did this drink look stunning, but the flavours all worked so well together that we would definitely order this again.

Even its branding is on point, which is no surprise to us. Butter-yellow boxes with dark blue text are used to carry all your favourite baked goods. This spot even offers its own Dope Bakehouse merch, which (as per usual) looks great.

But perhaps Reno described the difference between Dope Bakehouse and Nemesis best.

“We’re just having a lot of fun with this concept. Our goal has always been to create spaces where people feel inspired by the whole experience – from the food, the drinks, to the music, the design, and the people. Dope Bakehouse is the embodiment of our tongue-in-cheek spirit – the playful, younger sibling to Nemesis. We can’t wait to share it with the North Shore community and beyond,” Reno said.

Dope Bakehouse opens its doors on July 18, starting at 9 a.m.

Dope Bakehouse

Address: 650 Mountain Hwy., North Vancouver

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