Window coverings with pictures of breakfast dishes hint at a new brunch spot coming to downtown Victoria in the coming months.
OEB Breakfast Co.’s Yates Street location is shooting to open in the fall for the brunch culinary crowd as the capital has been eyed as a target well before the pandemic.
“Victoria always remained on our hotlist of the places we really wanted to have a presence in,” said OEB vice-president Rob Pawley.
After starting out in Calgary 14 years ago, OEB now has locations across Western Canada, in Toronto, plus California and Arizona. Victoria will be the sixth restaurant in B.C. under the brand.
“We’ve been really blown away with the excitement and the response from guests,” Pawley said. “People are really enjoying our food and our service and appreciate an elevated approach to brunch with ingredients that they just can’t get in a lot of our competitors.”
That elevated lineup includes items like breakfast poutines – like Pawley’s favourite consisting of herb potatoes, cheese curds, pork belly, poached eggs, truffles and brown butter hollandaise – alongside hand-pinched pierogis with confit duck and bacon lardons served with sunny-side-up eggs and raspberry vinaigrette.
The brunch spot also touts its use of organic bread and free-range eggs from a Manitoba flock.
“Amazing, happy chickens make amazing, happy eggs, so I think that’s where it all starts from,” Pawley said.
Despite that list of other OEB locations, Pawley said they try to design each location around the community, so the Victoria site will likely incorporate elements like the harbour, mountains and the outdoors. The open seating area will also include the bar as a focal point because patrons being able to get a craveable cocktail was a big piece for the restaurant.
“We know the cocktail scene in Victoria is amazing and think the brunch cocktail scene should be as well,” Pawley said.
While tourist areas near the harbour would be great for business, Pawley said they really wanted to connect to the community. The restaurant’s location, between Blanshard and Quadra streets, will give locals a walkable spot that’s still in the downtown business core, he said.
Finding a brunch seat can be a tough task between Thursday and Sunday, so Pawley knows there will be demand for them in the city. He said the restaurant is also excited to get involved in the community and participate in all the things that make Victoria great.
“Victoria has such a good brunch presence we’re just happy to be involved and be a part of it.”
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