When Tanja and I first moved to Vancouver we thought we’d have to say goodbye to some of our favourite Belgian delicacies such as waffles. Of course, you can find waffles here, but they’re just never as good as we were used to. Until we heard that Jan and Eilnaz, our friends and fellow Belgian immigrants, were starting out a Belgian waffle bar right here in downtown Vancouver! From the moment Tanja and I walked in and were seduced by the heavenly aroma’s and flavours of authentic Brussels and Liege waffles. Meanwhile the place has become favourite location for our business or client meetings. So why not put the place and its owners in the spotlight, we thought. And that’s exactly what we’re doing now. Without further ado, we present you: Nero Belgian Waffle Bar.

Jan and Eilnaz, before you moved here, you were living in Antwerps (Belgium) Tell us, how did you end up in Vancouver?

In the spring of 2011 we visited Eilnaz’s parents who were living in Vancouver. The city really got to us, and made us think about emigrating out of Belgium. Three weeks later we decided to take the jump. From there on, everything had to go fast, since Eilnaz’s status of permanent residence was about to expire. We had about three months to pack up our lives and relocate to Canada. However, as you can see we succeeded.

You certainly did! What would you say is your life philosophy?

Jan: Every single day, enjoy your life to the fullest.

Eilnaz: Enjoy the smaller things in life.

– J&T: Much like us they lived stressful lives in Belgium which kept them from sharing time together

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Perfect! Now, let’s talk a little more about Nero Belgian Waffles. How did you get to starting up a waffle business?

Back in Belgium, Jan worked in the food and hotel business. Eilnaz was a consultant in a travel agency. Once we got here, it turned out to be a lot harder to find equal jobs. That’s when Eilnaz started to work on realizing her dream of having a small coffee and waffle bar. At first, Jan helped out with the practicalities of launching a business, but soon enough we decided to run it together.

Sounds quite like how Jelger and Tanja Photography came to exist! In what way does Nero Belgian Waffles distinguish itself from its competitors?

Our waffles are authentic and top quality, which we guarantee by creating our waffle batter from scratch every single morning with fresh ingredients. If we can’t find the right ingredients locally, we import them from Belgium.

The same goes for our equipment: our waffle irons were imported from Belgium because we couldn’t find the right ones in Vancouver.

And last but not least: we run the complete business ourselves, which means every waffle is made with passion.

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What are the specialities of Nero Belgian Waffle Bar?

First of all: all our waffles are available for eat-in as well as take-out.

Our savoury waffles (Brussels waffle with a selection of toppings such as brie and walnuts or a Belgian chicken and mushroom chowder) are quite unique, because you won’t find them in Belgium.

Of course we also offer several sweet options such as Belgian speculoospasta (ginger snaps spread) fresh fruit or chocolate drizzle.

New toppings (and combinations) are constantly added to our menu, depending on seasonal availability.

Finally, on weekends we open at 9 AM, so come on down for a delicious waffle-brunch!

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We sure are! Jan and Eilnaz, thanks so much for this interview!

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