Residents of Brentwood Bay have a new reason to celebrate as Azure Pier Coastal Cafe officially opened its doors on Sunday, May 25, much to the delight of locals eager for a fresh culinary experience.
The cafe, located at 899 Marchant Rd. in the space formerly occupied by Blue's Bayou Cafe, promises a contemporary twist on cafe classics with shoreline views.
Nick Filipchuk, a Brentwood Bay resident, was on his usual evening walk on Friday (May 23), when his curiosity brought him to the cafe.
"We’d seen some renovation activity recently inside, so we were excited to see the progress they had been making,” Filipchuk said. “The sign up front made it seem like they were almost ready to open.”
The excitement proved well-founded, as Azure Pier Coastal Cafe surprised the community with its opening just two days later.
Despite a lack of formal advertising, the cafe experienced a bustling first day.
"I showed up at 8 a.m. before the 8:30 a.m. opening, but it was already packed,” said cafe manager Amelia Powell. “I was expecting a slow, easy Sunday, but there were so many people – families coming up right from the water.”
The unexpected turnout can be partly attributed to a Facebook post by Filipchuk.
On May 24, he shared a photo of the cafe’s new signage on a community Facebook page, sparking considerable buzz.
"For those nosie nellies like me, this is the name of the cafe going into the old Blue’s Bayou location,” Filipchuk's post read.
The post garnered positive reactions. "Walked by the cafe and it looks fresh and clean and coastal," one resident commented. "One of the staff smiled and waved at me. Pretty lucky to have an actual shoreline cafe.”
Azure Pier Coastal Cafe is the latest venture of Ling Ling Jiang, a Victoria-based entrepreneur who also owns QV Cafe & Bakery and Roundhouse Cafe in downtown Victoria.
Jiang took over the location two months ago and has transformed the space from a New Orleans-inspired restaurant into a modern cafe offering breakfast, lunch, desserts and "high-quality espresso drinks."
"We wanted a comfortable and cozy corner, somewhere hidden,” Jiang explained. “We really like the community and the view here.”
“I work in downtown Victoria at Ling Ling’s other cafe, but being here at Azure Pier feels like I'm in a Ghibli movie,” Powell added.
Jiang highlighted the in-house burrito as a must-try item on the menu.
"We are originally from China, so we kind of twisted the menu and made it with some rice, red beans and vegetables – basically it's healthy, very tasty... so good,” she said.
In addition to the unique burrito, Azure Pier Coastal Cafe prides itself on serving Navigator espresso, known for its quality and roasted to order.
Azure Pier Coastal Cafe is now open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering a new and inviting space for the Brentwood Bay community to gather, enjoy food and drinks, and soak in the coastal scenery.
