On September 21, 2021, Smoking Gun Coffee Roasters opened their doors in Chilliwack, and a year later they celebrated their anniversary with the community. Despite only being open a year, they have already made a name for themselves within the community of Chilliwack and the café world. They have been named “Coffee Roaster of the Month” by online blog Commonly Coffee and also gained the title of “Best New Coffee Shop in Vancouver” in the 2021 Snobby Awards (by blog Vancouver Coffee Snob).
Yet, their location in the Chilliwack 1881 District was not the very beginning of Smoking Gun’s journey. They used to be a pop up shop in Highstreet Mall located in Abbotsford and going back even further, Brandon Litun, the shop’s owner, launched their first commercial roastery in Abbotsford’s Ravens Brewing. The success following these two projects then led to Smoking Gun being approached to open in their current location. This led to the question: why Chilliwack of all places?
“I never set out to start a coffee company, so it all happened organically which was pleasant and exciting. So it just seemed like a great opportunity to have a great spot in an area where we could really put down roots, and really experience this fast and upcoming market”.
A key part to what makes Smoking Gun impressive and different is the fact that they roast all their coffee in house at the café. Litun brings up how roasting his own coffee has created positive personal experiences and great experiences with other coffee lovers.
“It’s just such a beautiful way to create connections. Not only connections I found within myself and a lot of healing and a lot of self discovery, but then to be able to share that with other people, to create connections over this product… to take great pride in not only roasting the product that people can enjoy in their homes but being able to present it in the café at that level is just a great privilege as well.”
Something that makes the roastery/café so special is the warm welcome customers receive as soon as they walk through the doors. The business is heavily involved within the community of Chilliwack and the events that are held in the city. They have provided coffee for events such as a regional pride event hosted in Chilliwack Secondary School, and made their own one year anniversary a celebration that anyone could attend. Litun talked to The Cascade about the connection between coffee and community.
“I think at the heart of coffee historically the real power is in the ability to create connection. I think it has way more to do with the connections than even what is served in the cup, but when all of those things happen together that’s when beautiful things happen”.
Considering all this we wanted to know how their first year in their full-sized shop has been.
“The word that immediately comes to mind is dynamic, and in all the ways the word can be interpreted. It has been amazing to experience such a warm welcome from the Chilliwack community, and such a rewarding place to find ourselves. It’s a gift. It’s been a lot of learning for us ‘cause I never envisioned this happening. Now, obviously I have a lot of vision. We have a lot of goals and plans, but it’s been a lot of just discovery. Dynamic in that way. To be trusted with peoples’ coffee rituals, we don’t take that for granted.”
Another way Smoking Gun Coffee connects with people in the community is their student perks program. Any UFV student can go to the shop Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. – 6 p.m. to get 15 per cent off beverages during their coffee happy hour. Just make sure to bring a student ID!
As stated above, the company at one point set up their first commercial roastery in Ravens Brewing, and ever since they have not been a stranger to collaborations. Litun alluded to a future secretive collaboration happening for the company this upcoming spring, but sadly no more can be revealed. Instead, we can happily report that they will be launching a new production roastery space, and while in-house roasting will remain, this new development offers an even brighter future for Smoking Gun. The company’s goal for this new development?
“Keep spreading the love, and try to get more coffee into the world.”
Follow Smoking Gun Coffee Roaster on instagram @smokingguncoffee for updates on the café/roastery and future projects.
Eva Davey is a UFV student majoring in English Literature and minoring in Media Communications. She is a fan of poetry, oat milk lattes, and the final girl trope. Currently, her worst enemy is the Good Reads app.