Popular plant-based restaurant introduces soft-serve ice cream and other new offerings
Virtuous Pie’s highly-anticipated new Vancouver restaurant opened its doors on Wednesday, February 28. At just over 2000 square feet, the UBC Wesbrook Village location will be Virtuous Pie’s largest outpost, featuring both indoor and outdoor seating and a number of new offerings including soft serve ice cream, Matchstick coffee, Dipped Doughnut Co.’s donuts., house-made breakfast pastries, and pizza by the slice Monday to Friday.
The menu will also include two new pizzas: the Pesto C.B.R, with Bianca, Pesto Marinated Chicken, Sundried Tomatoes, Cashew Mozzarella, House-made Bacon, Garlic Ranch and Rocket and the Peking Express, with 5 Spice Onion Cream, Hoisin Pulled Mushrooms, Cashew Mozzarella, Gai Lan, Scallion Ginger Sauce, Crispy Shallots, and Sesame. Other new additions include the Steak + Eggs breakfast pizza, with Cheddar Cream, Caramelized Onion, Steak Curls, Tofu Scramble, Oven dried tomatoes, and Fresh Chimichurri and Shakshuka, a Middle Eastern inspired breakfast skillet with Smoky Tomato sauce, Poached Veg, Green Harissa Sauce, House Made Feta, and Avocado, served with Zaatar spiced flatbread. The full menu can be viewed here.
While Virtuous Pie has served dairy-free ice cream since opening, this is the company’s first foray into soft serve.
“Soft serve ice cream is clearly having a moment,” says Jim Vesal, Director of Culinary and Business Development. “Our ice cream has become so popular and we wanted to expand on that. We’re starting with two flavours, vanilla and strawberry, that you can enjoy as a single flavour, a twist or you can make it a sundae. New flavours and sundaes will rotate seasonally. We’ve also partnered with Matchstick for our coffee service, because we all know that students need their coffee!”
With a continued focus on supporting local supplier and purveyors, the Wesbrook location will be serving Blume’s turmeric and beet lattes. Local wine, beer and kombucha will also be available on tap.
Designed by interior design firm Mason Studio, the new location is taking inspiration from its surroundings and using contrasts to create a dynamic space. Terrazzo flooring, PaperStone wood-like wall cladding and plants from Vancouver supplier Greenstems are key elements of design. The restaurant will also feature a pendant light from Vancouver designer Lukas Peet and artwork by local artists Sarah Delaney Schick, Maia Boakye, and Lindsay Cohen.
Virtuous Pie opened its first restaurant in Chinatown in September 2016 and is rapidly expanding. A second location opened in Portland in June 2017 and a fourth location is scheduled for Toronto’s popular College Street later this year.
“I think we can safely say that the appetite for plant-based food is here to stay,” says Lia Loukas, Director of Marketing and Business Development. “With Virtuous Pie, we wanted to ensure that people who are vegan, or those who want to incorporate more plant-based meals into their diets, have a place where they don’t have to sacrifice flavour, break the bank, and in a space that is inclusive and enjoyable to hang out in. So opening up near the university made a lot of sense.”
The Virtuous Pie Wesbrook Mall location at 3339 Shrum Lane will be open Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Brunch will be available as of mid-March every Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 2.30 p.m. Online ordering for pick-up is also available and delivery by Doordash will commence in spring.
Virtuous Pie is an elevated fast-casual restaurant with locations in Vancouver, BC and Portland, Oregon. Virtuous Pie combines sustainable, great tasting plant-based pizzas and ice cream with creative design and exceptional service in a bright, inviting environment. For more information, visit www.virtuouspie.com. Connect with Virtuous Pie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
