Stylish, spacious new coffee shop/kitchen opens at 249 Westminster Avenue West

It's hip, it's exciting, and, most importantly, it seems to be coming together organically.

What we're talking about is the two-block radius surrounding the intersection of Westminster Avenue West and Winnipeg Street. It looks almost certain to be Penticton's newest entertainment/dining/late night zone.

The Landmark Cinemas movie theatre arrived early in the decade, replacing a Liquidation World discount store. Bad Tattoo Brewing at 169 Estabrook was built and opened in 2014. And the activity in the past few months is quite extraordinary.

First there was Slackwater Brewing at 218 Martin. In the next few days, the Angry Vegan will reappear at 248 Westminster. Before the end of the month, The Black Antler restaurant will launch at 215 Winnipeg Avenue. All are offering late-night hours.

In the middle of all this is a massive chunk of land at 249 Westminster. It borders three streets and is currently home to a big parking lot and a variety of businesses such as FitKidz child fitness centre and Balance Vegetarian Shop and Tearoom. Property owner Ton Brown told PentictonNow a couple weeks ago that, "There'll be other things happening at that corner. We're trying to develop it keeping in mind pedestrian traffic."

And now, one of those "other things" has happened. It's almost kitty corner to Bad Tattoo, and it opened just a few days ago in a spot that not long ago housed an automotive detailing facility. It's called "Wayne & Freda," and it'll be a big deal if the midday crowd on the Sunday of a Canada Day weekend is any indication.

Wayne & Freda bills itself as a "coffee shop and kitchen," and indeed it is. Apart from an assortment of specialty coffees and teas, it serves breakfast sandwiches, several varieties of "toasts" and "bowls," smoothies, and more.

But it's also notable for its sheer size. Wayne and Freda is incredibly spacious and welcoming inside with a ceiling seemingly 30 feet high, lots of cool architectural and design elements, and enough seats for two or three football teams - benchwarmers and all.

That sense of spaciousness is accentuated by three elongated windows on the east wall and a massive garage/entry door that leads to a 50-seat raised patio enclosed in gorgeous natural wood. All in all, it's a fantastic look.

PentictonNow will have more on Wayne & Freda in the coming days, after the owners have had time to settle down and chat after what appears to have been a rather busy Canada Day weekend.