Preserving Soul While Creating Space for the Future
DESIGN TALK
Redesigning 49th Parallel Coffee & Roaster’s Flagship Café
Vancouver, BC - 49th Parallel Coffee & Roaster’s Kitsilano café has long been more than just a coffee shop; it’s an institution in Vancouver’s coffee culture. When the management team approached Black Label Designs, led by Principal Designer Pria Rajput, they presented a clear challenge: the space needed to be refreshed, but its heritage and ambiance had to be preserved.
In this Q&A, Rajput shares how her team honoured the café’s legacy while creating a refreshed, future-proofed flagship.
In this Q&A, Rajput shares how her team honoured the café’s legacy while creating a refreshed, future-proofed flagship.
Q: What was the brief when 49th Parallel Coffee & Roaster came to you?
Pria Rajput (PR):
The team asked us to strike a balance that’s deceptively complex, to breathe new energy into the café without compromising its identity. Kitsilano is iconic, and this café is part of its fabric. Our challenge was to update the space in a way that honoured its history, while giving it clarity, movement, and a modern layer of storytelling.
For us, the project wasn’t about chasing trends. It was about future-proofing a legacy.
Q: How do you approach redesigning a heritage space like this?
PR: Heritage spaces carry emotional weight. People don’t just visit them for coffee, they come for familiarity, comfort, and community. Our approach was to reframe, not erase. We introduced warm-toned millwork to soften the interior, curated retail displays to highlight the brand’s coffee culture, and added seating to encourage people to linger.
We also incorporated design storytelling: custom banquettes mimic the curves of Kits Beach, grounding the space in its local context. Floating shelves display coffee bags like artifacts, treating them as pieces of history rather than just products.
Pria Rajput (PR):
The team asked us to strike a balance that’s deceptively complex, to breathe new energy into the café without compromising its identity. Kitsilano is iconic, and this café is part of its fabric. Our challenge was to update the space in a way that honoured its history, while giving it clarity, movement, and a modern layer of storytelling.
For us, the project wasn’t about chasing trends. It was about future-proofing a legacy.
Q: How do you approach redesigning a heritage space like this?
PR: Heritage spaces carry emotional weight. People don’t just visit them for coffee, they come for familiarity, comfort, and community. Our approach was to reframe, not erase. We introduced warm-toned millwork to soften the interior, curated retail displays to highlight the brand’s coffee culture, and added seating to encourage people to linger.
We also incorporated design storytelling: custom banquettes mimic the curves of Kits Beach, grounding the space in its local context. Floating shelves display coffee bags like artifacts, treating them as pieces of history rather than just products.
Q: What were some of the design challenges, and how did you solve them?
PR: The central challenge was balance, refreshing the café without losing what people loved about it. Too much change risked alienating the community, too little wouldn’t move the brand forward. We focused on subtle yet impactful updates that modernized the flow and comfort while preserving the soul.
Spatial clarity was another priority. The original layout didn’t guide people naturally. We reworked zoning to create a more intuitive flow, ensuring guests move seamlessly from ordering to seating, making the café feel both organic and social.
Q: What does the redesign achieve for 49th Parallel Coffee & Roaster and its community?
PR: It gives the café a new lease on life. The space feels familiar yet refreshed, warm and modern, while still deeply tied to its neighbourhood. Guests can enjoy more comfort, better flow, and a stronger sense of brand identity.
For 49th Parallel Coffee & Roaster, it reinforces their flagship status. For the community, it elevates the everyday coffee run into an experience worth sharing.
Q: What’s your takeaway as a designer from this project?
PR: That design is as much about memory as it is about aesthetics. Redesigning a heritage café is about amplifying what people already love while layering in longevity. With 49th Parallel Coffee & Roaster, we created a space that honours its past while setting it up for the future.
PR: The central challenge was balance, refreshing the café without losing what people loved about it. Too much change risked alienating the community, too little wouldn’t move the brand forward. We focused on subtle yet impactful updates that modernized the flow and comfort while preserving the soul.
Spatial clarity was another priority. The original layout didn’t guide people naturally. We reworked zoning to create a more intuitive flow, ensuring guests move seamlessly from ordering to seating, making the café feel both organic and social.
Q: What does the redesign achieve for 49th Parallel Coffee & Roaster and its community?
PR: It gives the café a new lease on life. The space feels familiar yet refreshed, warm and modern, while still deeply tied to its neighbourhood. Guests can enjoy more comfort, better flow, and a stronger sense of brand identity.
For 49th Parallel Coffee & Roaster, it reinforces their flagship status. For the community, it elevates the everyday coffee run into an experience worth sharing.
Q: What’s your takeaway as a designer from this project?
PR: That design is as much about memory as it is about aesthetics. Redesigning a heritage café is about amplifying what people already love while layering in longevity. With 49th Parallel Coffee & Roaster, we created a space that honours its past while setting it up for the future.
About Black Label Designs
Black Label Designs is a Canadian studio specializing in hospitality, wellness, and retail design. Led by Principal Designer Pria Rajput, the firm merges branding, interiors, and strategy to create spaces that are as commercially smart as they are beautiful.
Black Label Designs is a Canadian studio specializing in hospitality, wellness, and retail design. Led by Principal Designer Pria Rajput, the firm merges branding, interiors, and strategy to create spaces that are as commercially smart as they are beautiful.
