Cape Breton’s Bungalow Beans goes from backyard BBQ to bricks and mortar

Steve Smith’s journey as a barista has come a long way from the days when he was barbecuing his beans in his backyard in Coxheath, N.S.

“I started roasting inside a stainless-steel drum roaster that was inside of a barbecue grill,” said Smith, who is the owner of Bungalow Beans.

From there, Smith started selling at the local farmers market.

Eventually, he hit the road and slung coffee out of a vintage camper that was more than a half-century old.

These days, however, he has parked his product in downtown Sydney where he has set up his shop in a well-known building called The Whale House.

“It’s a beautiful space,” Smith said. “There’s other food vendors here throughout the week. I absolutely love it. The people are superior. I love it here.”