32 Lakes Coffee Roasters and Café is one of three local businesses nominated for provincial small business awards.
The local coffee company has been recognized with nominations for the 14th annual Small Business BC Awards in premier’s people’s choice and best community impact categories.
“That kind of recognition makes people understand more about the depth of our company,” said co-owner Nathan Jantz.
Jantz and wife Margot have been busy growing a young family and a coffee business in Powell River since late 2012.
“Business is good; it has definitely grown” said Nathan. “The roasting side of it has been steadily improving since we started.”
Also nominated for community impact are Tla’amin Convenience Store and Aboriginal Business Match, a Tla’amin-based company that uses online technology to expand aboriginal business development.
This is not the first business award nomination for Tla’amin Convenience Store’s co-owner Erik Blaney, who said he is happy to share with his fellow nominees.
“They can have it, I’m sick of awards,” joked Blaney, whose store placed in top five for community impact in 2015.
According to Nathan, community impact is an important driving model for 32 Lakes, including locally made furniture for the café, food from local caterers, honey from Wildwood and as a gallery for local artists. It is a conscious effort that extends beyond Powell River.
“Our coffee, we know where all of it is coming from down to the producers; we know the farmers and the communities,” he said. “There’s a focus on sustainability for those communities and the farmers and people who are involved and all the way down.”
Nathan roasts the beans and Margot is responsible for marketing, which is not always easy, she said.
“I am very self-conscious about selling and so it was hard being pushy,” said Margot. “I don’t think either of us are pushy people, we’re just very passionate about what we’re doing.
According to Margot, the award nominations are important for promoting the company, to show involvement in the community and to take stands on important social issues.
In January, 32 Lakes will be transitioning out of its current location in Townsite.
“We have ideas of where we want to go,” said Margot. “We have our eyes on a place where we can combine very different business concepts into one space.”
