Nero Belgian Waffle Bar returns to its roots with new concept and lower prices
When someone mentions waffles in Vancouver, Nero Belgian Waffle Bar is often one of the first spots to come to mind. After operating in multiple locations throughout the city for the last thirteen years, it’s become so notable that even celebrities like Angelina Jolie have made appearances at the shop.
So, when Nero shared on its Instagram that it planned to close its West End location for renovations and to prepare for a new concept, we knew we had to reach out to learn what was going on.
Dished spoke with Jan Dierckx, who co-owns Nero with Eilnaz Taagholi, about the changes and what people can expect at its new and improved West End location.
Dierckx said that the idea for a new concept focused on Belgian street food waffles has been in the works for a while.
“We were overrun with customers lining up out the door,” said Dierckx. “It’s a super small and tight space, so it’s not easy for both our guests and staff to get around.”
So, Nero decided to temporarily close its West End location for a week to give the space a facelift and to change to its new street food concept.
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“We’ve done most of the work ourselves, said Dierckx. “I’ve been painting the store with a good friend of mine over the past week, and hearing all the reactions from the people on the streets has been really refreshing. It reminded me of when we first started and were manning the waffle irons ourselves; you really have that close connection with the community while we’re here.”
As for why now was the right time for the change, Dierckx said after thirteen years, they started to think about how to continue the story of Nero.
He said that since its West End location was on the smaller side, they found a lot of their customer base was starting to head to Nero’s Seymour location, which offers more seating, table service, and has a liquor license.
“We wanted to find a way to differentiate this location from the others, to really give people a reason to come here,” he said.
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When it comes to what exactly is planned to change, Dierckx assured us that waffles definitely remained the focus.
“We’re still going to do waffles, so it’s not a super drastic change,” said Dierckx. “But we’re taking it back to our roots, which are back home in Belgium, and also a little bit back to how we originally started this location, which is what I would call Belgian street food waffles.”
Dierckx said that this new location will serve up both Brussels and Liege waffles, all cooked to order with a variety of toppings available. It will also introduce a build-your-own-waffle concept. And, while the menu may look simpler than Nero’s other locations, Dierckx said that this is not exactly the case.
“It’s still waffles made from scratch every day, made with authentic recipes, cooked to order with fresh, delicious toppings,” he said.
Nero Belgian Waffle Bar
Another change that customers can expect is lower prices on these tasty waffles.
“We’re actually lowering our prices, and that fits into the whole concept of Belgian street food,” he said, adding that a plain waffle would start at $5, and toppings would be available for $2.50 each.
“Even if you end up adding quite a few toppings, it all starts very reasonable,” he said.
Nero West End has officially reopened its doors under its new concept. This comes a little over a month after Nero suffered its fifth break-in while operating in Vancouver at its South Granville location.
Nero Belgian Waffle Bar West End
Address: 1703 Robson St., Vancouver
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