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has expanded over the years to add stores in Yaletown and Burnaby, bringing its impossibly buttery croissants to neighbourhoods across the metro.

“I have a big team behind me so I feel extremely grateful that the team has taken us this far,” Nathoo says.

Small Victory also placed second among the city’s Best Bread Bakeries and second again for South Granville’s top businesses, cementing its status as the perfect neighbourhood coffee shop that carries everything you need to start your day.

“It’s the morning ritual that’s so important to us,” Nathoo says. “We want to be a part of people’s lives and daily routines. Our intent from the beginning was to make an impact at the community level.”

The cafe has a bright and spacious atmosphere with a modern, industrial design. Large groups dining in for breakfast are coupled with individuals sitting at the coffee bar working away on their laptops. The service is quick and efficient, allowing you to quickly grab and go, or stay as long as you please (though tables are to an hour during busy periods).

What you may notice first is a striking line up of pastries and baked goods.

Items range from a classic pain au chocolat to croissant donuts stuffed with pistachio cream, cakes, tarts, and hearty breads like seeded whole-wheat and crusty baguettes.

Craving something a little more substantial? Small Victory has that too. Doubling as a takeout counter and dine-in cafe, it also serves brunch staples like avocado toast, or waffles with mascarpone cream and fresh strawberries.

“We have a real passion for technique, process and ingredients, and we’ve tried to maintain that over the years,” Nathoo enthuses. “It’s really important to us how things are made— we don’t use stabilizers or fillers, everything is quite clean and natural.”

Good ingredients are a must, as well as good techniques to ensure the cafe’s baked goods are up to standard. Early childhood memories of rolling croissants and scooping muffins in her parent’s bakery have made Nathoo keenly aware of the importance of the process.

“We put a lot of time and energy into our breads,” she says. “We mill our own flour and have them go through long fermentation periods.”

Laughing, Nathoo adds: “Bread that stays on the counter for more than seven days is simply not bread.”

She reveals that the company is set to open a brand new flour milling facility in the Lower Mainland soon, allowing people to see where its ingredients come from.

“We’re looking to find ways to better communicate what our products are really made of and what goes into them,” says Nathoo. “I think that’s an area of growth.”

For now though, she couldn’t be more proud of her team, and is looking to improve in the future, including offering more seasonality in their menu items.

It’s more than just a small victory. GS

READERS’ CHOICES NEIGHBOURHOOD

FAIRVIEW

1. BEAUCOUP BAKERY 2150 Fir St.

2. Salmon n’ Bannock 1128 W Broadway #7

3. A Taste of Vietnam 1016 W Broadway

SOUTH GRANVILLE

1. GRAPES AND SODA 1541 W 6th Ave.

2. Small Victory 3070 Granville St.

3. Heirloom Vegetarian Restaurant 1509 W 12th Ave.

CHINATOWN/STRATHCONA

1. CHAMBAR RESTAURANT 568 Beatty St.

2. Bao Bei 163 Keefer St.

3. Juke Fried Chicken 182 Keefer St.

FRASERHOOD

1. OSTERIO SAVIO VOLPE 615 Kingsway

2. Sal Y Limon 701 Kingsway #5

3. Les faux bourgeois 663 E 15th Ave.

YALETOWN

1. HOMER ST. CAFE AND BAR 898 Homer St.

2. Minami 1118 Mainland St.

3. Elisa 1109 Hamilton St.

WEST END

1. ÔNGBA VIETNAMESE EATERY 976 Denman St.

2. Espana Restaurant 1118 Denman St.

3. Kingyo 871 Denman St.

GASTOWN

1. ASK FOR LUIGI RESTAURANT 305 Alexander St.

2. L’Abattoir 217 Carrall St.

3. Water St. Cafe 300 Water St.

COMMERCIAL DRIVE

1. LUNCH LADY 1046 Commercial Dr.

2. Havana Vancouver 1212 Commercial Dr.

3. Downlow Chicken Shack 905 Commercial Dr.

KITSILANO

1. ANNALENA 1809 W 1st Ave.

2. Maenam 1938 W 4th Ave.

3. The Naam 2724 W 4th Ave.

MAIN STREET

1. ANH AND CHI 3388 Main St.

2. Published on Main 3593 Main St.

3. Zarak by Afghan Kitchen 2102 Main St.