Than look no further! Dates are fast becoming the new healthy ingredient in many baked goods. Not only do they taste great, but they can be an effective substitute for eggs, sugar + butter in baking … of course, not all at the same time!

More importantly, they can be a great alternative to sugar! Look up just about any healthy dessert these days + you’ll find recipes teeming with dates. The sweet, sticky fruit has found itself in brownies, cookies, granola bars, caramels, ice creams, puddings + pies. They are packed with potassium, vitamin B6, niacin, fibre + a small amount of iron.  And if that’s not enough, sometimes they are simply added for texture + taste. Not convinced? Visit us + taste one of our 4 delectable baked items that contain dates. We’ll let you be the judge!

Quick Start Muffin
This muffin is full of everything you need to get a jump on your day: gluten free oats, flax seeds, dates, rhubarb, blueberries + walnuts. With a little more to offer than your basic favourite, it is healthier, moist, insanely delicious + just happens to be, gluten free!

Nature Bar
Corn flakes, almonds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, raisins, cranberries, sesame seeds + dates, all come together in a delicious + nutritious bar. A great alternative to a chocolate bar!

Date Square
One of the oldest “comfort desserts” out there….+ known to have several other names such as Matrimonial Cake, Date Bar, and more. These squares are oozing with dates whose taste is further enhanced with orange essence. Topped with house made oat crumble + you have a dessert that’s far from square!

Breakfast Cookie
Don’t let the word “cookie” scare you away from this healthy treat. Full of oats, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cranberries, dates, carrots, dry apples, sesame seeds + almonds…a healthier twist to an old favourite!

Tempted to try? Come in for a visit…after all, there is more than one way to find a “date” at a coffee café!

Posted in A Take Five Cafe Feature

September is the month of the year that has people convinced it comes with a switch. One day you can be basking in the sunshine + the next you can be keeping cover in the rain. It seems the cold snap evolves overnight + the rains appear on cue. Beach visits are changed to mall visits as back to school supplies + fall clothes need to be purchased. And chilled treats are replaced with warm sips as we move towards Autumn.

Just as the switch of a new season is made, we find the beverage requests change too. We know as coffee drinkers you are very familiar with the espresso shots, lattes + Americanos…to name a few. So to keep you in the know, below is a re-cap of some of our not too obvious Fall favourites:

Our Salted Caramel Bourbon Latte is a delicious combination of custom roasted espresso, perfectly steamed milk,  infused bourbon, caramel + sea salt. We’ve spent time in our East Van kitchen crafting the perfect Bourbon infusion (we burned off the alcohol + kept all the flavour!) These all play together to give the delicious taste of a “spiked” coffee  making this fall latte a popular choice.

Stone Ground Teas. Made from stone ground black teas from India, our teas are blended with organic cane juice + other natural ingredients to produce amazing flavours! Our classic London Fog has bergamot + all natural vanilla, while our Authentic Chai includes spices like ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves + cardamom. Stone ground tea is different than traditional steeped teas – instead of soaking tea leaves in hot water + removing them, the tea leaves are ground into a fine powder + whisked into each beverage. When consumed, the body is able to absorb 10X the antioxidants + nutrients compared to steeped teas. Whether you are interested in more nutrients in your cup or just love the extra flavour of stone ground tea, we suggest you visit + try a cup of our Chai or London Fog Tea. A warm sipper on a cool day!

Elixo Tea is more than invigorating flavour – it has antioxidant benefits as well. Made with stone ground rooibos tea leaves, ginger, citrus, all natural honey crystals + cayenne pepper.  It also contains camu camu, an Amazonian fruit with very high levels of all natural Vitamin C. Elixo helps fight colds – the ginger + citrus are known to boost energy + cayenne pepper is great for clearing sinuses!  Combined with a hint of ginger, the flavour will rev up the palate + energize your senses. This tasty tea truly is a cup of antioxidants in disguise!

Come in + try one of our feature beverages or create your own with help from a barista. At Take Five Cafe, our drink menu is just the beginning… your preference is the end!

Posted in A Take Five Cafe Feature

No matter the weather, no matter the mood, we’ve got you covered! Whether you like you coffee straight up, dressed up, flavoured or chilled…. Visit us + we will handcraft our traditional Italian roasted coffee beans into your favourite coffee drink. It’s that simple!

Not a coffee drinker? We have stoned ground teas, steeped iced teas, frappinis, smoothies + more. All compliment our long list of house baked items. From muffins to cookies + loafs to squares….traditional, gluten free, sugar free or vegan.  Our central kitchen bakes everything from scratch using locally sourced, fresh ingredients which results in moist, flavourful, decadent desserts! House baked treats with homemade taste!

We hope to see you soon… we’ve “bean” waiting for you!

Posted in Coffee

It’s no wonder summer is a favourite time of year. Warmer weather, outdoor activities, holidays, getaways + patios!

If you are near a Take Five Café, we have sunny seating waiting for you!  More than half our stores have patio seating …. Visit us in the BlueShore Building in North Vancouver, or the Axa Building on West Hastings. There is an awesome patio at our Brewery District location in New Westminster – in fact, one whole side of the café opens giving a whole new meaning to the term “open concept”. Sit outside at Surrey City Hall or in Coal Harbour at our Nicola location. Enjoy the sounds, the people, the action around you + stay an hour or an afternoon!

See you at Take Five – on the patio of course! For the best break you’ll ever have!

Posted in A Take Five Cafe Feature

We all need a treat from time to time + sometimes it’s the treat that gets us through the day. Whether it’s a chocolate bar while working at a desk or an ice cream dessert on a hot summer day, a little indulgence goes a long way!  It’s no secret that treats help us feel better + it’s been proven that treats help reduce stress + boost our mood! We like this theory + we’re holding to it! Whether it’s a craving you can’t resist or an excuse to treat yourself to something delicious – we have a treat waiting for you!

Come in + try one of our chilled  Frappinis. Enjoy simple flavours like Vanilla, Caramel or Chocolate or take your treat to the next level + enjoy White Chocolate + Strawberry or Cookies N’ Cream – our take on a delicious creamy, chilled shake!  If you’re feeling a little indulgent today we’ve got you covered!

We say, life’s short, have dessert first!

Posted in A Take Five Cafe Feature

Blueberries are sweet + delicious!
They are low in calories, high in fibre, loaded with vitamin C, have the highest antioxidant capacity of all fruits + veggies and are nutritious!

Blueberries can be enjoyed fresh or frozen.
They are an easy grab + go snack, can be used as a topping on pancakes, oatmeal or yogurt, blended into smoothies or easily folded into muffins or other sweet treats. Blueberries are a superfood!

Blueberries are versatile….
Blueberries are colourful…
We loooove blueberries!

Visit us at any of our 9 locations + enjoy one of our tasty blueberry treats. Whether you prefer your coffee paired with a muffin or enjoyed with a dessert, we have blueberry options waiting for you!

Happy Spring!

Posted in A Take Five Cafe Feature

There was a time when muffins could be considered as wedges of cake in disguise! Once the basic batter was dissected + the sugary toppings with artificial flavours were exposed, what was really left was a delicious dessert. But things are changing….the understanding of nutrition is evolving + bakers all over are switching direction. That’s not to say that everyone doesn’t enjoy a piece of cake now + then and it certainly doesn’t mean that every muffin needs something to boast about, but it does mean that there are more certifiably healthier choices out there.

After receiving positive reviews from our loyal customers about a few of our healthier muffin options, our bakers have decided to add another addition to our muffin line. And in keeping with our mission of trying to offer something for every dietary need, this one happens to be gluten free! Meet the new Quick Start Gluten Free Muffin. It’s full of everything you need to get a jump on your day: gluten free oats, flax seeds, dates, chunks of rhubarb, blueberries + walnuts. With a little more to offer than your basic favourite, it is healthier, moist, insanely delicious + of course, gluten free!

Visit us for a try + while you’re here, consider one of our other fan favourites: Gluten Free Fruit + Nut, Morning Glory, Oat Bran, Sugar Free Fruit or Vegan Chocolate. While we can’t promise a solution for every dietary concern, we are trying to promise a little something for everyone…one bite at a time!

We hope to see you soon!

Happy Spring!

Posted in A Take Five Cafe Feature

There are several months of the year that shine, but one of the months with the most to boost is March! Not only is Daylight Savings in March, giving us that extra hour of daylight we crave this time of year,  but it is also the first day of Spring….a new season with lots to offer!

If you have taken the time to look outside you will note the once bare trees now have buds. Flowers are emerging from the ground + the days are warmer + brighter! Windows can now be opened during the day letting in a fresh breeze + more time can be spent outdoors. All this magic creates a spring in our step + we feel this is cause for celebration!

And nothing tastes more like Spring than our popular Lavender Latte. Our roasted espresso is slightly sweetened with lavender + lemon zest. It’s the perfect combination of soothing flavour + energizing espresso which we describe as ‘aromatherapy meets caffeine therapy’. We think it’s pretty special + can’t think of anything better to put a spring in your step!

Come visit us at any of our 9 locations + give a toast to Spring with a Lavender Latte!

Posted in A Take Five Cafe Feature

A kind gesture can go a long way but who would have thought that the kind acts of two Nova Scotia teens would start such a positive revolution? The teens bought + distributed 50 pink shirts after a male ninth grade student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt during the first day of school. This was the boys’ way of taking a stand against bullies. The concept gained traction and has become synonymous to standing up against all forms of bullying….years later the official Pink Shirt Day was introduced + every year the support for Pink Shirt Day gets bigger + louder! And Take Five Café is proud to be part of the movement!

For the NINTH consecutive year, Take Five Café is supporting the amazing Pink Shirt Day campaign through the sales of Pink Cupcakes with all proceeds going to the CKNW Orphans’ Fund.  Over the past eight years, over 12,000 cupcakes have been baked + sold with a total donation of just over $14,000!! And this year we are hoping to sell more!

But we need you + time is running out! Until the end of February, cupcakes are available at all of our 9 Take Five Café locations.  You can drop in + buy one for a friend or two but even better, you can place a large order for business meetings, classroom parties or special events by calling our Catering Department directly: 604.697.9050. Pink Shirt Day is Wednesday, February 28^th – the perfect day to have cupcake treats on hand!

Together we can make a difference and stand up to bullying at home, at school or at the workplace. Take Five Café is proud to support such an important cause and hope you will consider doing the same.

So what do you say? Sweet treat for a great cause….the cupcakes are calling!

Posted in A Take Five Cafe Feature

How about a compromise instead….
The New Year seems to be the time people choose to turn a new page. Most look at January as the start of positive changes + the end to bad habits. We put high expectations on ourselves which is further enhanced with the repeated tag line: New Year, New You. The question is, are we setting ourselves up to fail?

Change is a process. Most unhealthy habits took years to develop, so it only makes sense that they take time to break. It is hard to maintain new routines if they are very different than what has been the norm in everyday life. And besides….what is wrong with the old you!?  We think you should focus on tiny steps + compromise instead.  Perhaps eat healthy during the week, but allow a small treat on the weekend. Or commit to the gym a few times each month but park further away from your destination to squeeze in some extra walks everyday. Being too rigid in your goals is a sure way to help foil your resolutions + besides, don’t we all deserve a break now + then?

No matter your approach to obtaining your goals, we have something waiting for you.  Whether it be the five servings of fruit + veggies in our Fruit + Veggie Smoothies, or the decadent chocolate in our Classic + Toasted Coconut Hot Chocolates, the decision is yours! And if you decide to grab a smoothie during the week + a specialty hot chocolate on the weekends, we won’t tell!

Here’s wishing you all a happy, healthy New Year full of adventure, successful resolutions + compromise!

Posted in A Take Five Cafe Moment