Two neighbouring businesses in Vic West's Dockside Green are now united by more than a love for locally crafted sustenance.
Fol Epi Bakery and Caffe Fantastico have joined forces as the owners of the latter have purchased the bakery, allowing for the businesses to work together.
Fantastico's Ryan Taylor, who owns the shop with his wife Kristy, has known Fol Epi's founder Clif Leir for over 20 years and said they've shared many similarities in their businesses and business values.
"We've had a really long-term relationship with Clif," Taylor told Victoria News. "We both essentially started out in our driveways. He started out in his with a wood-fired bread oven, making bread for markets, and we started with our coffee carts that were hauled in and out of the driveway every night."
Taylor thinks they are "both very happy" with the business transfer and said that the two remain on "great, friendly terms."
The doors are now open between Fol Epi and the Fantastico bar-deli, offering a larger seating area and a wider variety of locally crafted food and drink.
Caffe Fantastico, a family-run roastery founded in 1993, has built its reputation on fresh-roasted specialty coffee. The company eventually expanded into a deli with a full menu. Fol Epi was founded in 2009 by Leir, and is known for artisanal bread making, including its wild yeast fermented breads, on-site flour milling and sourcing organic Red Fife Wheat – Canada's oldest wheat.
"Clif has contributed greatly to the revival of heritage wheat in Canada," said Ryan Taylor previously in a press release. "With the support of our strong team at Fantastico, we are committed to preserving Fol Epi's legacy – continuing to bake with organic, stone-ground flour and supporting local farmers and producers."
Taylor said changes are minimal at this point and will likely happen slowly. The current plan is to increase the all-weather patio and expand both restaurants' pizza programs – incorporating the deli's meats and cheeses for Fol Epi's, while using the all-organic Fol Epi crust for Fantastico's pizzas.
Taylor said he hopes that combining the companies will strengthen them and create more efficiencies.
"As inflation has gone up, we've tried to improve efficiencies to try to stabilize our prices as much as possible. And we believe we'll be able to do the same thing with Fol Epi."
The hours and menus remain unchanged at this point. Dockside Green is located at 398 Harbour Rd.
