about us
Passionate Foodies. Loyal Vancouverites. Granville Island's Loudest Cheerleaders.
FROM THE TEAM THAT BROUGHT YOU VANCOUVER FOODIE TOURS
In 2010, Founder Michelle Ng's passion for food, people, and storytelling led her to launch Vancouver Foodie Tours. With over 10 years in business, Vancouver Foodie Tours' walking tours of Granville Island, Gastown, and Richmond have been awarded Vancouver's Best Tour Company.
We're putting our expertise, passion for food, and love for Granville Island to good use with our new venture Granville Island Delivery Co.
PIVOT TO GRANVILLE ISLAND DELIVERY CO.
When the pandemic hit, Michelle was heartbroken to see the effects on the Granville Island merchants. Two days after making the decision to pause Foodie Tours, she started work on Granville Island Delivery Co., as a way to help the vendors of the island while keeping her business running.
The pivot to Granville Island Delivery Co. was welcomed by fans and merchants alike as a way to connect the two through safe, contactless delivery.
We love creating our unique local artisan gift packs, and bringing people together through giving. Every item in our gifts are hand-selected and tested by our team, guaranteeing smiles all around. Plus, giving a local gift means supporting our vibrant community of makers, something we're very passionate about!
OUR CORE VALUES
Wow our Clients, Team & Community
We uncover what’s important to people and look for opportunities to make them feel special and valued.
Pursue Excellence
We challenge ourselves to think beyond our current approach in order to improve continuously.
Embrace Diversity and Curiosity
We are inclusive and love learning about diverse people, cultures, and perspectives.
Play to our Strengths
We create opportunities for team members to hone their innate talents, and to achieve excellence.
Be Proud Ambassadors of Vancouver
We have a deep love for Vancouver and showcase the uniqueness of this place to others.
#GRANVILLEISLANDLUV
Vancouver's iconic food & arts destination, Granville Island, is our home, our inspiration, and our driving force. We knew when we started Granville Island Delivery Co. that we wanted to give back to the community. We started the #GranvilleIslandLuv campaign to raise awareness for the merchants of Granville Island and their plight during the pandemic. In 2020, we put aside a portion of our sales and took donations for the cause.
We're proud to have raised $2500 to go to one Granville Island Merchant in need. After taking applications, we're excited to announce that Paper-Ya is the recipient of the donation!
Left to right: Michelle Ng, Founder of Granville Island Delivery, Austin and Chris Szentveri of Paper-Ya
Paper-Ya on Granville Island
If you've ever visited Paper-Ya in the Net Loft, you'll know it's special one-of-a-kind magic. Entering the store, you're transported to the land of gorgeous paper goods and covetable gifts. The interior is enhanced with fairy lights, glass cases, and everywhere you look is a little nook just waiting to be explored.
Paper-Ya has been a cornerstone of the Granville Island community for over 36 years, founded by owners Denise and Sharon. In 2006, Chris Szentveri was looking for a way to flex her creative muscles. Chris and her husband, Steve were already in sports retail, and when the chance to purchase Paper-Ya came along, they took the opportunity. Chris' background in fashion design and art school set her up for success with Paper-Ya.
Some of their most popular items include their artful cards, washi tape, gorgeous fountain pens, journals, and of course, paper! For anyone wondering what "Ya" is, the name comes from the Japanese word for store. If you haven't been to Paper-Ya, make a point of visiting the next time you're on Granville Island!
Pandemic Challenges & Future Plans
In the wake of the pandemic, many businesses were forced to close. Paper-Ya closed its doors for nearly 11 weeks. "Letting staff go was the hardest part," said Chris.
When it was safe to open again, things looked different in the store. "We limited the number of people in the store for safety. One positive of this is that there's more room to move around and browse! This store is usually so packed that people can't even see everything. We're actually thinking of limiting the number of people in the store long-term to make a better experience for our customers."
Making the best out of a difficult situation seems like something Chris does well. "We were so fortunate to receive rent relief and support from CMHC. We couldn't have done it without them."
Looking forward, Paper-Ya plans to use the $2500 #GranvilleIslandLuv donation for a new POS system, and to start selling online. We can't wait for their online store to launch. Our credit cards are ready!
Team Member Jane of Paper-Ya
JOIN OUR TEAM
Perform at your highest potential.
Inspire others to do the same.
Vancouver Foodie Tours is recognized as one of the world’s top food tour operators by Forbes and TripAdvisor. With over 10 years of experience delivering award winning Foodie Tours in Vancouver, we pivoted to Granville Island Delivery Co in March 2020 as our original business was paused due to the pandemic.
Granville Island Delivery Co. creates beautiful gift boxes using artisanal products from Granville Island merchants. We have been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, CBC, and Vancouver Sun for our outstanding service in supporting our community throughout the pandemic. We are proud to uphold a 99% customer satisfaction rating.