How It All Began

It all started around 2012 when the pair of coffee enthusiasts from Moja decided to stroll down Vancouver’s Railway St. After dropping their roasted beans at Railtown Cafe, they set out looking for a custom sign to promote their coffee.  Luckily, Union Wood Co is located just down the street, and that could have been the end of the story, but it wasn't.

What Dreams May Come

Fast forward to a few years later, Moja decided to open a new location on Commercial Drive in East Vancouver. The idea was to transform the old space (the former Main Grocery Store at 1102 Commercial Drive) into a modern café that would be the main meeting point in the district. The Moja duo hired a hip team of Boor Bridges Architecture from San Francisco to bring some beauty, style, and function to the neighborhood.

There Is No Coincidence

After locking down the vision and concept, they began the task of looking a company to fit-out the new space. Flash back to 2012, they remembered about us, Union Wood Co, the company that once made a $150 wooden sign for them. After contacting us, the spark was lit.  Boor Bridges had a great vision for the layout, aesthetic and feel. From there our task was to bring that plan to life; developing plans, testing for functionality, specifying details and sampling materials.  Essentially turning a floorpan layout into working cabinetry and comfortable surroundings.  We love this challenge, and love the collaboration. Plus, of course we knew this was going to become our new favorite coffee shop.

In The Making

Once the sawdust started flying, it took us 8 weeks to accomplish the task. Everything was custom designed and fabricated specifically for Moja. Our team built tables, cabinets, counters, and shelving all in house. On top of that, we designed our signature Roaster Stool for Moja. We mostly used white oak and maple lumber well-known for durability even in the commercial environment.

Success!

It has been 2 years as Moja Coffee started serving the best damn coffee on Commercial Drive. Not to brag, but there are people who think it is the best coffee place in Vancouver. The reviews say the place has “nice décor and a sizable, yet cozy environment to drink fresh roasted coffee”; it is “a nice, bright, and lively cafe to be for coffee and book reading”. We won't argue that!

PHOTO CREDITS:

Doug Finley and Andrew Wentzel: Moja Coffee

The Main Grocery Store: Moja Coffee

The sketch: Boor Bridges