Market Square Appetite: Wannawafel

Liege waffle w berry compote. Photo by Deanna Ladret

Hurting for blood sugar after a morning of LoJo shopping fatigue? Or maybe you’re a busy parent who forgets to eat before leaving the house. Then again, maybe you live half a block away and need to feign a home-cooked breakfast to impress last night’s date. Regardless of the situation, downtown Victoria’s Wannawafel is here to help.

The busy little shop is located on the Johnson Street side of Market Square, just inside the gate. Started in Victoria several years ago by the Marchands, a Belgian family, Wannawafel began as a single location and blossomed into a successful franchise, now with locations across Canada.

Heavy duty-looking waffle irons––imported from Belgium, of course––are used to make every waffle to order (no limp leftovers sweating under a heat lamp here). The waffles are available in two varieties, at $3.58 each: the Brussels Waffle and the Liège Waffle. The Brussels Waffle is probably what most Canadians are used to eating at restaurants or making on our own waffle irons: toasted on the outside, soft on the inside, perfect rectangle, finished with powdered sugar. The Liège Waffles are made from a sweetened batter, with a caramelized outside and a denser and richer consistency.

Krista Spinoy (l) and Dana Marchand (r)

All of the recipes are authentically Belgian and they’re all made from scratch using only a handful of wholesome ingredients. Whipped cream, chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream, banana split, or a dollop of fruit compote are the selection of available toppings. Wannawafel also serves Victoria-based Level Ground Coffee and a selection of teas and juices.

Some might be familiar with Wannawafel from their appearance on CBC’s The Dragon’s Den, a reality TV show where entrepreneurs with a business or product idea present their plan to a panel of high-profile investors. Even though Wannawafel’s pitch was successful, they chose instead to partner with Richard Larkin in 2010 before expanding. Despite their national popularity and increasing business, here in Victoria you’ll still find the Marchand clan working behind the counter, flipping waffles and smiling away. Sweet.

Open Sunday-Thursday from 9am-5pm, Friday and Saturday 9am-6pm.

Wannawafel

560 Johnson Street
#102 Market Square
Victoria, BC V8W 3C5
250-590-5300

www.wannawafel.com