If you've got to go, a brunch restaurant in Port Moody is the best place in Canada to go.
And not just for its classic French toast or cauliflower poppers.
The Hard Bean Brunch Co. has been awarded "Canada's best restroom" in a contest by commercial cleaning supplies and services company, Cintas Canada Ltd.
Hard Bean CEO Heather Rhodes, who has years of experience in the restaurant business, said her team put a lot of thought into its restrooms.
"You always want to have a fun washroom experience," she said. "Why not make the area more comfortable?"
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Rhodes added having individual gender neutral fully enclosed stalls provides more options for all of her customers.
"As girls we like to have more options than just two."
Each of Hard Bean's stalls have brightly painted yellow doors and yellow trim, blue walls and palm leaf wallpaper. They're all equipped with a sink and LED backlit mirror and some of the larger ones also have a changing table..
The local business' participation in the contest was promoted on its social media channels and each mirror in the restroom featured a QR code that facilitated immediate and easy voting.
Hard Bean opened at the corner of Clarke and Moody streets in April 2022 after months of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was one of five finalists recognized for their cleanliness, visual appeal, innovation, functionality and design elements of their restrooms.
The other four included:
- The Gathering Place in Vancouver
- The Big Apple in Colborne, Ont.
- Forest Pavilion washrooms in Winnipeg, Man.
- Yesterday’s Auto Gallery in Edmonton, Alta.
Cintas Canada's Candice Raynsford said thousands of votes were registered on the company's website from June 5 to July 7.
She said the contest helps raise awareness of washroom comfort and cleanliness in customers' overall experience at any establishment.
For its win, Hard Bean receives $2,500 in cleaning products and services from Cintas so its restrooms can remain pristine.