A new cafe with an immersive atmosphere is animating the imaginations of its customers in Halifax.
“Every wall here has a story to tell,” said co-owner Kriselda Alvarez.
Xena’s Bread and Butter offers a 2D cafe experience, where a flat white refers to both the drink and decor.
The cartoon-like, black and white interior creates an optical illusion while visitors sip and savour on Filipino-Canadian inspired treats and beverages.
“When they come here they see the culture, the food, the scene,” said Alvarez.
The cafe was a true labour of love, says co-owner Grace Firmeza.
Both Firmeza and Alvarez were born in the Philippines. They met while studying to be homecare workers in Montreal before moving to Halifax.
“We are very thankful that we were able to pull off [the cafe] the way we wanted it,” said Firmeza.
A pandemic hobby turned bustling business; the pair gained a loyal following at the Alderney Landing Farmers Market in Dartmouth, N.S., where they began selling their goods in 2020.
“When we were in the market, we were dreaming of having a cafe,” said Alvarez.
However, that dream didn’t come easy. Employed as homecare workers during the day, they borrowed a friend’s commercial kitchen after hours - often baking through the night to serve customers each weekend.
“It was a journey,” said Firmeza.
Their vision was to bring their culture to customers through carefully crafted decor art, which features popular attractions and sights from both the Philippines and Canada.
“Some of the locals haven't been to the Philippines, so we thought ‘maybe we can just bring the Philippines here,’” said Alvarez.
The minimalist, monochromatic design required few materials, but took nearly two months to complete by local artist Froilan Picasos, who drew the design on the walls by hand.
“I tried a few different kinds of tools like a marker, pencil and black paint,” said Picasos. “I used different techniques that I’d been learning as a graphic artist back in the Philippines.”
The contrasting interior really makes the colourful cuisine pop.
“Our most famous [bakery item] right now is the purple yam cheese bread,” said Firmeza, explaining that the vegetable is a popular ingredient to use in traditional Filipino cooking.
