Scout a family-friendly spot

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This article was published 27/12/2017 (3020 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A mountain range on the wall and a toy camper on the rug — Scout isn’t your regular local coffee shop.

Located at 859 Portage Ave., the recently opened café offers the standard coffee and beverages as well as light fare, but it stands apart from its counterparts by catering heavily to young families and children.

Katrina Tessier, who owns the shop with her husband Phil, says that as a parent, she knows how important it is to have spaces where you can bring your kids.

“A lot of people want to support local coffee shops, and they don’t necessarily have products designed for kids, or you might not feel comfortable doing things like breastfeeding or having your kid crawl on the floor,” Tessier said.

“We try to fit in the middle of those two things, where it’s kid-friendly, there’s stuff to play with, but also good quality food, healthier food… and then supporting a local business.”

Scout is working with La Belle Baguette bakery, Oh Doughnuts and Beet Happening to bring in freshly made sandwiches and salads and they serve Black Pearl Coffee.

The Tessiers are back in Winnipeg, and living in the West End, after spending some time in B.C. It was there that the idea of a different kind of coffee shop first struck.

“There was a coffee shop that had a similar feel in Victoria,” Tessier said. “I went there a lot when I was on maternity leave, so I wanted to do that here… You get that feeling where you go to McDonald’s and you have the play land, but then you’re stuck eating McDonald’s. And even with the play land, it’s three and up, where if you have more of a toddler, we have crawling-age kids here.”

She says it’s important for parents with young kids to have somewhere they can go during the day.

“My husband stays at home with our daughter, so as a stay-at-home parents, if it’s a few days in a row, it’s like I need to get out of the house and do something, even if it’s just come out for coffee, and get some relief,” Tessier said.

Scout is her daughter’s middle name and that campy theme can be seen throughout the store with a toy bonfire, camper, chalkboard mountains and prints of animals on the wall.

“Being able to adventure, in that sense,” she said.

She says living and working in the West End is an opportunity for them to really get to know their neighbours and be a part of the community.

For information on hours and more, search Scout on Instagram and Facebook.