Printing on paper? Of course. Canvas? Yes. Wood, ceramic, metal? Check-check-check, it can be done.
But printing on a coffee?
It may sound strange, but Elena’s Cafe in Cloverdale is offering customers the chance to get anything printed on their lattes. Called colour-coffee printing, they have a machine that prints in full-colour using organic food colouring.
Fateen Ehtesham, who co-owns Elena’s with her husband Ehtesham Sajid, said the machine is very popular.
“We’ve been printing a lot,” she said. “Customers really get excited about it.”
Fateen said her machine is the first of its kind in North America to be printing in full colour on frothed-up milk suds. She said there’s a machine or two in Vancouver but they only make images in one colour using coffee beans.
She said there’s a $2.25 surcharge for the printing, which takes about 30 seconds. On special occasions, they have printed coffees for free as a nod to their customers to say thank the for their continued support. Back in February, they handed out special-printed St. Valentine’s Day coffees to all customers.
Fateen said they can print any image: favourite pics, birthday or anniversary messages, your pet, your spouse—anything. All the customer has to do is scan a QR code, upload their picture, centre it, add any written text they want included, and the machine takes it from there. They also have tons of stock images to choose from as well. And they even have a camera, just in case anyone wants to stare into their own eyes over their morning cuppa joe.
She noted they haven't had anyone use a java to propose yet, but they’ve had several requests for coffees that asked, “Will you be my Valentine?”
Fateen and her husband bought Elena’s Country Kitchen last summer after the longtime owners, husband and wife duo Elena and Gabby, decided to hang up their aprons. After closing for about three months to reno, they opened up at the end of November with new decor, a new food menu, and new coffee offerings.
Rebranded as Elena’s Cafe, Fateen and Sajid re-imagined the country kitchen into a new space as both a day-time and late-night hangout spot. They infused it with an intense coffee-house vibe and changed the menu. Their new menu features several sandwiches, such as their very popular chicken focaccia, a few all-day breakfast items, and a line of pastries and desserts they swap out weekly. And they are certified halal.
They are open late too, with hours running from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“We are finding that many people like to come here and hang out late,” Fateen added.
She said the first four months of business have been good. They are growing their customer base, refining their menu, and pioneering coffee-colour printing in the Fraser Valley.
Elena’s cafe is located at 5630 176th Street in downtown Cloverdale. For more info visit their Instagram page under the handle @elenacafecloverdale.
