From a rooftop coffee roastery in Kitsilano to a 300 square foot storefront in Chinatown, built in 9 days.
Stephanie and Andrea French are sisters who grew up with a passion for food, art, and making things by hand. They've each worked across Canada and around the world. Stephanie founded Panoramic Coffee Roasters as a small batch roasting operation. Andrea brought her experience in pastry, savoury cooking, and design.
In December 2012, when Stephanie needed a new home for Panoramic Coffee, the two sisters saw an opportunity. Why not bring coffee and pie together?
Once the decision was made, everything moved fast. The French sisters found a tiny space in Vancouver's Chinatown: 300 square feet. They planned, designed, and constructed the shop in nine days. Word spread quickly through the neighbourhood. When the doors opened, people lined up.
What started as a simple idea became something much bigger. A gathering place. A community hub. A restaurant that people returned to week after week.
In those early years, The Pie Shoppe faced challenges. There was a fire that nearly destroyed the shop. But Stephanie and Andrea rebuilt. The community rallied around them. The shop moved from Gore Street in Chinatown to a larger location on Powell Street.
Along the way, they've hosted workshops, collaborated with other makers, fed their neighbourhood, and built something that mattered.
Filmmaker Zack Lazarus spent months documenting the early days of The Pie Shoppe. His work captures the behind-the-scenes story of how two sisters and their community created something magical from nothing.
Creators
Andrea French, Owner and Pie Maker
Stephanie French, Owner and Coffee Roaster
Production Team
Zack Lazarus, Director, Producer and Editor
Michele Guimond, Social Media and Branding
Oliver Li, Industrial Designer
Neu Mannas, Music
John Diemer, Post-Audio
Logan Gilday, OGA Design
The Pie Shoppe exists because of the incredible people in our community. From our farmers and suppliers to our customers who showed up week after week. From the artists and makers who shared the Chinatown space with us to the media who told our story.
Every collaboration, every meal shared, every moment in that small shop was made possible by people who believed in what we were trying to do.