Metro Vancouver’s cafe scene has been booming with openings lately.
BUT this one is steering in a completely different direction.
Benzo Café, a brand-new spot that opened in late June in Burnaby Heights, is a vintage Mercedes-Benz lover’s dream come true.
While many new cafes lean hard into the clean, minimalist aesthetic, Benzo Café throws that playbook out the window.
Instead, it revs up the nostalgia with custom car seats, steering wheels on the walls, and actual car parts as furniture.
The owner shared with Noms Magazine that the idea for Benzo Cafe was born from a shared passion between him and his uncle, who spent years buying and restoring old Mercedes R107s across BC.
After his uncle retired, he floated the idea of combining two of their favourite things: coffee and cars.
That sparked a creative journey that involved decommissioning vintage Benzes, testing structural builds, and even slicing a few cars in half.
Over the course of one to two years, they managed to repurpose car parts into functional café counters and booths without compromising on design or safety.
Now in his final year studying Innovation and Entrepreneurship at SFU, the owner saw this as the perfect time to launch the cafe.
More than just serving coffee, the goal was to create a one-of-a-kind space where people could relax, connect, and be surrounded by automotive icons.
You’ll know you’re in for something special the moment you step inside.
At the front of the café, there are two standout lounge-style seating areas built into the rear ends of vintage Mercedes-Benz R107 SLs.
The retro car bodies have been repurposed into cozy booth-style benches wrapped in authentic vintage Mercedes leather.
Even the walls are lined with emblems, steering wheels, and vintage hubcaps.
Everywhere you look, there’s a tribute to the brand’s golden era.
The cafe counter itself is actually the entire front of a vintage Mercedes-Benz R107 SL, a two-door roadster produced between the ’70s and late ’80s, retrofitted into a functional espresso bar.
It’s impossible not to pause, stare, and snap a photo!
There’s also a quirky “VIP” seat tucked in the corner, a black and gold ornate throne paired with a coffee table made from an engine block.
Between the throne, the oversized wall clock, and the car blueprints and toy car models lining the walls, the entire place feels like part coffee shop, part museum.
Despite the over-the-top decor, the menu keeps things simple.
You’ll find all your caffeine staples like americanos, cappuccinos, and lattes (though the lattes are cheekily named V12 Lattes), plus a few teas and refreshers like pink lavender chai and ginger milk tea.
For pastries, they’ve got a rotating assortment of croissants, cookies, and other baked goods displayed in a classic glass case.
During our visit, we noticed a few Mercedes enthusiasts gathered around, pointing out the different models on the walls and happily sipping their coffee.
It’s the kind of place where you could easily end up chatting with fellow car lovers over a cappuccino.
Benzo Café now joins other recent Burnaby openings like Chen, Hafu Dessert, and Smart n Save.
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Address: 4429 Hastings Street Burnaby, BC