Karine St-Pierre and Valérie Bissonnette have known each other for a decade. The first was the second’s real estate broker when purchasing a condo. Since then, the business relationship has grown to become one of friendship.
Having been running for a week, the duo is officially launching Pop Pop Café & Boutique in the Limoilou district of Quebec. This hybrid business on Boulevard des Capucins includes a coffee, tea, sandwich and pastries counter. He will also devote a generous portion of his premises to showcasing other small businesses, on a rotating basis.
The young business which overlooks Boulevard des Capucins, in Limoilou, hosts both a café and a boutique area which is constantly being renewed. (Frédéric Matte/Le Soleil)
“Our goal is to create attractiveness for local people who want a stylish coffee break. grab and gobut also for all others ready to discover beautiful Quebec brands,” describes Ms. Bissonnette.
A new employee prepares one of the coffees on the Pop Pop menu. (Frédéric Matte/Le Soleil)
Creativity on the menu
Slate Liquid offers basic and specialty coffees, including a blend prepared by the artisan roaster of Terroir Café, in Quebec. Pastries are provided by the artisanal bakery Epi’Fanny.
For the rest, the watchword is creativity. Thus, the signature drink of this young address is called Fredo. It’s a matcha tea from Camilla Sinensis, topped with oat milk, cream and strawberries. “People love it because it’s almost a drink dessert. We have fun exploring. Our goal is to bring out lots of stuff all the time!” promises Ms. Bissonnette.
For example, we are busy adding grapefruit and rosemary tea to the menu, to which we will combine strawberry or raspberry purees from Quebec…
A hub for pop-up shops
The first ephemeral store invited to take advantage of the Pop Pop concept is called Pony Studios, by visual artist Pony (Gabrielle Laïla Tittley, her real name). On display and on sale until December 31, his creations take the form of clothing and plush creatures.
“She transformed her art into characters that reflected her emotions. For example, she creates clothing, comfort objects and heavy stuffed animals to help people who suffer from anxiety,” explains Ms. Bissonnette.
The artist Pony’s products will occupy the boutique corner until December 31, 2024. (Frédéric Matte/Le Soleil)
Every two or three months, another pop-up store will take over in the hope of being discovered by customers in the capital. We also promise discoveries from various fields: swimsuits, bags, candles, etc.
“We want to create a moment for people. It’s our way of differentiating ourselves, says Karine St-Pierre. Inviting different stores brings people to stop by often to take a look, to look at new products, and to take the opportunity to chat while having a good coffee.”
On the shelves, stuffed animals from Pony Studios and posters that explain their reason for being linked to emotions. (Frédéric Matte/Le Soleil)
A duo of business women
The cronies already know business. A law graduate, Ms. St-Pierre founded CSR Immobilier (formerly Construction St-Pierre Roseberry), a multi-residential construction firm in the central districts of Quebec. For her part, Ms. Bissonnette runs Picole Spiritueux, a brand of gins (including Abel and Tucana) available in SAQ, as well as the communications and marketing firm BIS Stratégie.
“We thrive on challenges and projects, it drives us!” confides Ms. St-Pierre.
Valérie Bissonnette and Karine St-Pierre, acquaintances who became friends and associates. (Frédéric Matte/Le Soleil)
Namely
What pop-up stores would you like to see appear in this new business? Leave your suggestions in the comments section below.
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The Pop Pop Café & boutique is located on Boulevard des Capucins, in Limoilou, at the corner of Rue de Beaujeu. (Frédéric Matte/Le Soleil)
