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Fresh new cafe recognizes pressing needs of others

Wendy and Questa Lee, a mother and daughter team, have jumped into the chaindominated coffee business, with their new café, the Fresh Press Coffee Bar. Operating on the border of Richmond's Golden Village, at No.
Fresh Press
Questa Lee, left, and her mom, Wendy Lee, are the proud proprietors of Fresh Press Coffee Bar, which sources and uses unique suppliers.

Wendy and Questa Lee, a mother and daughter team, have jumped into the chaindominated coffee business, with their new café, the Fresh Press Coffee Bar.

Operating on the border of Richmond's Golden Village, at No.3 Road and Alderbridge Way, the pair of new entrepreneurs are hoping their hands-on, personalized approach, sets them apart from the crowd, by offering unique flavours and treats not available at the franchise shops.

"It's a different type of coffee shop, where people can come enjoy coffee, but also be able to support organizations that are not being highlighted in society," said Questa Lee, a recently graduated psychology student with a background working with non-profits in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES).

Fresh Press orders all its teas from JusTea, an organization that helps support Kenyan tea farmers, and orders its custom espresso beans and chocolates from East Van Roasters, a non-profit, which gives work experience to women of the DTES.

Like the décor, which was inspired by the duo's personal preferences, each item that appears on the Fresh Press menu has been personally picked out by the pair, based on their favorite tastes and flavours.

"We have the best almond croissants in town, there is a slight citrus taste with them that pairs well, due to them using orange blossom water," said Questa, who uses another local company, Cadeaux Bakery, to supply their baked goods.

The Lees say all their custom espresso drinks have a slight almond undertone that lend themselves to being paired nicely with specialized chocolates and treats, such as their salted pecan truffles, ginger cookies, and cream cheese swirl brownies.

"We wanted to transform the location into a place for people to gather and relax," said the elder Lee, Wendy, who has owned the location as a convenience store for years, but was looking for a change.

She admits that changing the focus from a small store, to a custom café, caused her a

bit of concern.

"The last two weeks before we opened were kind of scary, not knowing how the response would be from people. But once we opened, we thought 'we'll be ok.'" Since the new business opened last month, the pair has praised all the help they've received from their mentors and suppliers, and encourages the public to follow them on social media to stay up to date on their coming events.