North Van, your pastry scene is about to get butterier—and definitely more dope. Nemesis Coffee, Vancouver’s beloved café crew known for cool spaces, great brews, and our 2025 Readers’ Choice for Best Coffee Shop, is launching Dope Bakehouse, their first standalone bakery, at 650 Mountain Highway later this summer. Quick heads-up: despite the name, there’s no edible cannabis here—just ridiculously good pastries.
Leading this buttery adventure is Brittany-born—as in Brittany, France—pastry chef Kevin Lucas, whose résumé reads like a dream culinary tour through Audierne, La Plagne, Tignes, Arcachon and Saint-Barthélemy. Lucas will collaborate closely with Nemesis’s culinary team, including executive chef Mielye Mitchell and executive sous chef Lina Serrano, to continue pushing pastry boundaries alongside a global network of talented chefs. He brings classic French pastry expertise, creativity and an unmatched passion for laminated dough—his bread and butter, if you will.
“We first named our in-house bakery program Dope Bakehouse at our Nemesis Polygon location, and it really took off beyond our imaginations,” explains Nemesis founder and CEO Jess Reno in a press release. “Through our pastry friends, we were connected with Kevin. It’s now the right time to give Dope its own home.”
Expect all the Nemesis charm you know and love, but amped up with a playful pastry-focused energy. Every treat will be freshly baked on-site—seasonal pastries, classic viennoiserie, cookies, focaccia sandwiches and other surprises. And, just to be clear, none of those surprises involve cannabinoids—still not that kind of bake shop.
Early menu teasers include Mango Coconut Rice Pudding Danish (your summer vacation, edible edition), Hoji-cha Strawberry Danish (tea’s effortlessly chic cousin), Bacon Smoked Cheese and Fermented Honey Croissant (breakfast, but better), Marsala Tiramisu Cruffin (Italian dessert meets pastry flair) and Espresso Double Chocolate Smoked Sea Salt Cookie (no explanation needed).
Fans of Nemesis cafés—like their Instagram-famous GNW spot (pictured below), designed by Perkins and Will, featuring petal geometry and mirrored roasting pods (yes, it’s that cool)—can expect similar vibes at Dope Bakehouse, this time with a nostalgic twist. Designed by local firm Sml Studio Architecture, the 3,000-square-foot space offers 15 seats, lofty 24-foot ceilings, pastry-inspired décor and a glossy, buttery bar made for your feed (pun kinda intended!).
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Of course, Nemesis’s signature coffees, fresh-squeezed juices and expertly curated drinks will be available too, to go with your sweet new buttery early-morning antidote to the snooze button.
“We’re just having a lot of fun with this concept. Our goal has always been to create spaces where people feel inspired by the whole experience – from the food, the drinks, to the music, the design, and the people,” Reno adds. “Dope Bakehouse is the embodiment of our tongue and cheek spirit – the playful, younger sibling to Nemesis. We can’t wait to share it with the North Shore community and beyond.”
Too impatient to wait? Sneak a taste with Hazelnut Chocolate Cookies and Pain au Chocolat at Nemesis locations or online right now.
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The Deets
When: Opening late Summer 2025
Where: 650 Mountain Highway (North Van)
Follow @dope.bakehouse for all the sweet details and the latest updates on their opening date.
