Scavenger Coffee

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Vancouver, BC
Scavenger Coffee

A bicycle powered coffee cart roaming the streets of Vancouver, serving coffee from a vintage Italian espresso machine.

12/22/2023

Hope everyone had a good winter solstice last night!

We joined the Strathcona Secret Lantern Walk, which finished at the labyrinth by Linear Park where we were waiting with hot apple cider.

Kudos to all the volunteers and participants for the huge array of paper lanterns, bringing your own cups, and even a cozy fire.

Here's to longer days now!

12/15/2023

Mmm that golden hour light.

As much as Diana wanted a naked espresso machine when we started out, our espresso mechanic/artist Niko suggested glass windows instead so we didn't burn our customer's fingers every single day.

We immediately broke the back window panel going over some bumps. Chief fixer Diana figured out how to pop it out, order a new custom sized panel and replace it, and then it promptly cracked again :/

Realizing we needed a little suspension we installed rubber dampeners for the machine to sit on. The M10 bolts go through the hollow rubber dampeners and are held onto the steel frame underneath. We said that we'd replace the window if the crack got worse, and that was 3 years ago so now it's just part of the patina 😝

We probably should have installed some sort of suspension on the cart when we designed it, but it felt too complicated at the time! Are there any good alternatives to leaf springs for a trailer that wouldn't raise the height of the counter too much?

12/06/2023

Check out our feature in HUB Cycling's newsletter!

https://bikehub.ca/about-us/news/meet-modo-business-members-scavenger-coffee
Coop partners with on their newsletter since at the end of they day they're all working towards better transportation solutions that don't involve one person per car, and then parking that car 95% of the day (seriously, that's the figure).

Since selling our car in 2016 we've been regular users of car sharing services like Evo, Car2Go, and now we use Modo for our business when we need a cargo van to go places a bit outside of our biking range.

When we leave the city to head home to the Okanagan or Kootenays, we use another great carsharing service which has been nothing but good experiences and you get to meet some lovely people. On the flip side if you're a driver it's a great way to roadtrip for free essentially.

12/02/2023

The face when you realize you have Saturday off.

Sunday: Arc'teryx pop-up at 813 Burrard St.
Monday: Private event at Kabam Games
Tuesday: Private event at Canadian Cancer Society
Thursday: UBC Polar Bear Swim @ Wreck Beach x Lululemon (3PM - 4:30PM)

12/01/2023

Diana has been experimenting with some simpler mug designs. Great for keeping your hands warm while holding your steaming morning coffee on these chilly December mornings.

She's been teaching and studio managing so much lately she hasn't been throwing as many mugs at her own studio at the JBG, but with Christmas coming up maybe we can convince her to do one more run.. (she hates self-promotion so I have to do it for her 😝)

📷

11/30/2023

It's still biking weather!

Well it's always biking weather in Vancouver, but remember last year when we had that wild snowstorm this time of year.

This picture (📷 ) is a good reminder to install that quick-release seat post clamp so I can stop biking around with my knees bent. We set that seat height in 2019 and have never changed it 😅 The motors let you get away with it.

I wasn't too familiar with dropper post tech back then, but how good would that be for quickly adjusting to all of our different barista biker heights.

11/29/2023

Not sure what Scavenger is going to look like after December, and whether we'll still be the ones tapping away into the void here, and there's so much that we never got around to sharing.

We're cheating slightly because we did actually share this one before, but it was so long ago that most of you all probably never saw it, and we've got these amazing new pics from that we have to show off.

This is one of my (Rory) favourite details on the cart: the Suntour Power Shifter tap levers!

This tap was a basic bathroom faucet (chrome with plastic handles and plate), given to us for free by a family member from a reno. We ground off the chrome & nickel plating on the spout with an angle grinder and flap wheel, cracked off the plastic deck plate and replaced the handles with these sweet old Suntour shift levers that we picked up from Kickstand's parts bins. To our surprise it was fairly minor modifications required, a bit of copper fabrication and brazing by Diana.

The original idea was from an online coffee forum where someone had replaced their La Pavoni Professional steam levers with Campagnolo shifter levers. Would love to credit them but can't find the photo, it was many years ago!

PS. We're still looking for buyers. Please share it around or send us an email ([email protected])

11/28/2023

Glamour shot of Fantastiko.
📷

We've been a bit quiet on the socials lately. Behind the scenes we're catering some private events, fixing equipment after a busy summer, and enjoying some free weekends, but we're not quite done with public events.

Come on out Sunday, December 3rd at the downtown Burrard St. store from 11AM - 4PM for free coffees & hot chocolates to kick off the winter season!

Sneak peek of next week:
Dec 4th: Private Event
Dec 5th: Private Event
Dec 6th... we could be at your office treating your staff to an early xmas present. Message us for a quote.

11/16/2023

Attention all climbers: join us for a pop-up café at on Industrial Ave on November 19 from 9:30-11:30AM for some free farewell beverages, courtesy of our favourite climbing gym.

Diana has been a member there for 4+ years and when we first started out and were looking for spots to set up in, they had just started experimenting with early morning sessions, one day a week.

We'd roll in early Wednesday morning, and Diana and I would swap barista and climbing shifts for a couple hours until everyone had left for work at 9AM. Now they're open three days a week at 7AM so I guess there are enough early bird climbers out there.

See you there for some climbing and coffee!

Psst. we're doing a couple more pop-up events with free drinks for the public before we shut down, more info to come. Also still taking catering bookings through December.

11/01/2023

And that's a wrap on farmers markets for Scavenger!

Can't believe our luck to have such a beautiful, crisp fall day on Saturday (especially compared to last year's atmospheric river).

Thanks to for the vendor treats on the last day from

Love being surrounded by good neighbours like and . We'll miss you!

PS. Anyone know the story of the Crispy Fries guy? Standout costume.

10/28/2023

Last West End Farmers Market ever today for Scavenger Coffee! 9AM - 2PM Sat 28th.

Dress up and show up for some hot coffees (we do still have ice cause there's always a few diehards)

Any guesses on Diana's costume?

10/27/2023

Critical Mass ride today!

6PM at the North Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Bring your bikes, cargo bikes, bike trailers, and lights, lots of lights.

See ya there ;)

Address

1007 E Cordova Street
Vancouver, BC

Telephone

+16043606299

Website

http://www.scavengercoffee.com/

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