With Persian New Year just around the corner, guest writer Nicole Palacios gives us a glimpse of the delights to behold at Lynn Valley’s Kourosh Bakery.
A cabinet of delights
Whenever I want to get a special cake for a birthday celebration, I always go to Kourosh Bakery in the Lynn Valley Mall. Not only are their cakes delicious, but the owner always remembers me – a trait I find hard to come by these days in most retail establishments. The smells that envelop you when you walk in the door are mesmerizing and the array of goodies behind the glass counters are pleasantly overwhelming. It’s hard to choose just one thing.
From amazing mocha cakes to chickpea cookies and baklava, this bakery has a little bit of everything. And they even deliver.
In speaking with the owner, Samaneh Zandieh, I was intrigued to find out a few things about Kourosh Bakery, like how they started, any obstacles they’ve had to overcome, specialties for Persian New Year, and why they chose Lynn Valley to open their bakery and call home.
Loving Lynn Valley
Zandieh was passionate about loving Lynn Valley, even before the bakery opened. She and her husband would come to Lynn Valley frequently to enjoy the nature and beauty that is our community. When they found the location for the bakery, it was easy to make the decision to open here. And now, after a few years, they are also able to call Lynn Valley home, living in a condo not far from where their business.
Opening Kourosh
Kourosh Bakery opened its doors in 2018. Zandieh and her husband, were looking for the perfect spot to open a bakery, and found it in the previous insurance office at 1248 Lynn Valley Road. The building was up for lease, and they thought it seemed like the perfect spot for them.
At first glance, Samaneh thought the space was too small, but it turned out that there was enough space in the back for her husband to do the baking, while having a spacious storefront with all of the goodies displayed out front.
Small business bumps
Getting the space ready was a bit of a challenge, as they had to get many permits, she said. There were delays for eight months after getting the space, which made paying the rent an obstacle that the couple had to overcome. Generous support from the person they were subleasing from gave them a few months free on their rent to get on thier feet.
This made all the difference and enabled them to do the work they needed on the bakery in order to open – from electrical to plumbing – and start selling their baked goods, said Zandieh.
Covid Times
The bakery was established before Covid, adaptation and innovation helped the small business not only survive but thrive during the pandemic, said Zandieh. . The bakery closed for two weeks, like most other services at that time, but after that short time, they reopened and were busier than ever.
“We started to deliver with UberEats and Doordash, which exposed us to new customers,” said Zandieh.
Instead of having fewer customers, they were able to tap into a whole new market of people who were staying home and ordering in, during the tough time, their customer base grew extensively.
Persian New Year
With many residents of North Vancouver hailing from Iran, Persian New Year is widely celebrated on the Spring Equinox. This year it takes place on March 20th. Kourosh has some amazing goodies like chickpea cookies, lady fingers, and coconut macaroons to place on your table to celebrate.
Kourosh Bakery is in the Lynn Valley Mall, open six days a week, closed on Mondays.
Written for LynnValleyLife.com by Nicole Palacios.
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