Timbertrain Coffee Roasters

Timbertrain Coffee Roasters was founded by lifelong friends Jeff Shin and Peter Kim, with Min Shin as a third partner. All three left careers in accounting, sales and trading to get into coffee. After developing the idea in 2012, they opened their Gastown cafe and roastery at 311 West Cordova Street in 2014. The name comes from their shared childhood love of trains and the idea that trains bring people together.

Head roaster Kat McClure studied animation before becoming a barista, then worked her way up from Timbertrain's bar to its roaster. She roasts with a light, transparent touch meant to showcase the producer's work rather than the roast itself. Timbertrain aims to buy from the same producers year after year, and its menu runs from approachable everyday coffees to more experimental lots, along with espresso blends and decaf.

If you're visiting Vancouver from the US, the Gastown cafe is an easy stop between the waterfront and downtown.