If you haven’t yet stopped in to Sweetie Pie’s for a cinnamon roll or slice of fresh-baked pie, stop what you’re doing and get to downtown Vancouver’s newest sweet shop right now! Fold up this paper or tuck your tablet under your arm, and get over there so you can finish reading this article in the same comfort as it’s being written – with a mouthful of sweet, buttery deliciousness.
Main Street in downtown Vancouver is seeing a surge of new and refreshed businesses. Sweetie Pie’s, tucked inside Swoon Antiques Salon, is one of the latest additions.
“I always wanted to be on Main Street in Vancouver,” said Swoon’s owner Kimberly Shults, adding that she leapt at the opportunity when the storefront opened up about a year ago.
Once she had settled in, Shults said she wanted to find something to complement her store.
“I love the old mercantile model of getting a little lunch, doing a little shopping, and having a full experience,” she explained.
As Shults tells it, she spoke with friends and associates about the fact that her space was already outfitted with a counter and kitchen equipment, and how she was looking for a tenant who would be the right match.
Linda Davis, the culinary force behind Sweetie Pie’s, had recently ended an 11-year run owning an antiques and country décor shop, and was looking for something different. Davis said she wanted to find something small and manageable that was already set up – something that wouldn’t require a huge investment.
Before long, Davis and Shults found each other.
Davis sells homemade pie, cinnamon rolls, lemon bars, cookies, cupcakes, coffee, tea and more. Some staples and fan favorites, like the cinnamon rolls, she makes every day. But each day is also different.
“I’ll make whatever the mood strikes me,” she said.
Later this month, Davis will be expanding her offerings to include lunch. She plans to serve a variety of soups as well as vegan chili, with homemade biscuits and cornbread.
“We’re seeing a lot of new faces,” said Shults, adding that the shared space arrangement
is working so well that she’s adding a bookseller to the back of the store, too. Shults also makes and sells handmade,
all-natural, vegan-friendly soaps, under the name Savon
de Swoon.
In just a few short months, Swoon has transformed from an antiques and vintage store to a multi-layered experience with something for nearly anyone. Stop in to browse the vintage finds, check out the soaps, browse the books or sit for a while at the tables and chairs in the front of the shop. Have a hot cup of coffee and a warm slice of pie, and enjoy another vibrant shop in the heart of Vancouver’s re-energized downtown.
