Double Black Cafe serves up “the highest standards of international coffee,” and with the opening of their new location at the Visitor Centre, people are able to get a taste of what that means at two locations in Golden.
The cafe has been operating at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (KHMR) for around six years, after owner Dan Soles opened the location, and soon after hired Joel Falardeau to spearhead front of house operations. Since then, the cafe has grown in popularity, becoming a hot spot to go on a cold winter day on the slopes, and a casual place to drink and dine in the summer months for tourists and locals alike.
The kiosk on the Trans-Canada Highway was built alongside the new Visitor’s Centre, and complements the rest stop with information about the area, a small dog run, and picnic tables for enjoying a coffee and food break. The cafe serves up Kicking Horse Coffee, and the kiosk features a paired down menu from what people enjoy on the ski hill.
“It’s basically just an offshoot of Double Black. The biggest thing we wanted to bring in there was an espresso machine, because I do feel like that is how Double Black started,” Falardeau said. “We’ve been training all of our staff to meet the highest standards of international coffee.”
Each coffee and sandwich is made fresh to order, ensuring customers are given the freshest food and beverages. The location is small, but the employees who work there are happy to make it work.
Over the past two years, the location at KHMR has received some upgrades to better serve hungry skiers and outdoor enthusiasts in the winter and summer months.
Falardeau and his partner Daphnee St. Pierre have been working at the cafe for years, and recently became partners in the business two years ago. Since they started, they have both been integral parts of the business, working to improve and expand on the services the cafe has to offer.
“We’re trying to be as high as we can possibly go with the material and the circumstances. That being said, I do think that we serve one of the meanest coffees in the area,” Falardeau said.
