Business improving on St. Anne’s Road

St. Vital

St. Anne’s Road has been experiencing a walk-up business rejuvenation.

New mixed use buildings along the Fermor to St. Mary’s corridor has created quality commercial spaces along with new residential units for families in the apartments above.

EspressoVIBE is one of them, which opened its doors in August, by couple Elias and Ina.

Ina, originally from Ukraine, met husband Elias in Dubai, where he gained experience working in restaurants and the service sector. The two have been dreaming of starting their own business for the last five years.

Since moving to Winnipeg, a city they describe as “lovely, and friendly” they set to work on developing a plan for serving their new community.

Elias says they have received excellent support from the community, in spite of the difficult timing of their opening amid major roadwork on St. Anne’s, which is expected to be complete soon.

In addition to the fresh roasted coffee made on site from weekly deliveries, they have partnered with Bronuts to offer gluten-free muffins, and fresh pastries from La Belle Baguette.

The name, EspressoVIBE, they chose as a straightforward reference to the wares they serve and the atmosphere inside, or “vibes.”

They invite the community to come check out the store, open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 113 St Anne’s Rd.

Businesses like EspressoVIBE are steadily rebuilding the historic character of St Anne’s as a walkable commercial corridor.

Further, the addition of a new crosswalk near Imperial Avenue closes the gap for pedestrians and bus commuters between St. Mary’s and Varennes Avenue, building stronger connections and opportunities for commerce across the busy road.

Thanks to this growth and the long-standing efforts of organizations like the Old St. Vital BIZ, St. Anne’s Road is taking shape as a natural extension of the well established and walkable neighbourhood main street character of St Mary’s Road north to Carriere.