Nick and Beth Schryvers, a young family based in the beautiful Whakatū Nelson region, have both been fortunate enough to spend most of their careers working for specialty coffee roasters around New Zealand.
With a passion for coffee, a love for hospitality, a desire for community building and creative freedom, the couple developed a dream of running their own cafe together. Once the right opportunity presented itself, they took a leap of faith and dove right in, opening the doors to Victus Coffee and Eatery in June last year.
The couple finds it rewarding to work alongside their fantastic team daily and make small connections with all customers. They partner with local organisations to support various social causes close to their hearts.
Having observed a shift towards cleaner-tasting coffee with customers looking for a complex flavour profile and willing to pay more for a better product, Victus Coffee and Eatery offers an extensive range of ever-changing single-origin filter coffee from Ozone Coffee Roasters. These can be brewed to order as a pour-over or as a bottomless cup.
Another favourite is the rose latte, a beautiful, pink, non-caffeinated latte made from beetroot, rosehip and tea spices.
They also believe in making sustainability a norm and have recently introduced Twiice edible cups to limit the usage of single-use cups. These edible cups come in flavours like chocolate, vanilla or raspberry and have been incredibly popular, especially dipped in Whittaker chocolate.
Victus Coffee and Eatery is known for its unique take on the Japanese pancake, with its Okonomiyaki Waffles, served with sriracha mayo, okonomiyaki sauce, crispy shallots, a fried egg and a side of bacon. Another popular item is their bottomless batch brew.
Owning a cafe is time-consuming, so the couple spends quality time with their kids and family during their downtime. They also enjoy the beautiful Nelson outdoors, playing disc golf, and going on coffee dates or cocktail nights.
With Victus, the Schryvers aim to elevate the standards of hospitality and innovation and become the friendliest cafe in Nelson, and maybe all over the country someday, by being optimistic, keeping what is essential at the mind’s forefront, and welcoming every new day with a cup of coffee.
