Vancouver, B.C., February 17, 2026 - , a hospitality-driven specialty coffee company in Canada, has been selected as one of the at No.15 – earning international recognition for a brand that began as a single café in Gastown in 2017 and is known for its pursuit of ‘coffee creating culture’. Today, Nemesis operates five locations across British Columbia, along with a standalone home for its popular pastry brand, .
“We are so proud and humbled to be named one of the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops,” says Jess Reno, founder and CEO of Nemesis. “This year, we got word we were nominated for the Top 100 list. I’ll be honest. Sometimes when things like this happen, we tend to brush past them — like we didn’t earn it. Then I look at our team, and the standard we’re trying to hold. The care. The effort. The way people show up every day.”
The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops is a global recognition platform celebrating excellence in specialty coffee and café culture. It’s rankings are determined through a weighted evaluation model that combines public participation and professional assessment: 30 per cent of the score comes from community voting and 70 per cent from an international panel of more than 800 coffee and gastronomy professionals. Coffee shops are evaluated on coffee quality, barista experience and technique, sustainability practices, customer service, space design and atmosphere, food and pastry quality, innovation capacity, and service consistency.
Reno explains, “To us, what matters most is that nine years ago, we opened a small door in Gastown, and it grew into something far bigger than we ever imagined. Along the way, more people found their way into that space, and this work began to mean something deeper. We’ve heard countless stories of people meeting their partners here, finding community during difficult seasons, building friendships, and feeling more connected to the city. Being named one of the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops is an honour, but what truly matters is the community behind it and everyone who believed in us, and continues to make Nemesis what it is.”
This special recognition coincides with Nemesis’s ninth birthday, which was just on February 14, 2026. “It feels poetic in a way. A little sweet and a little serendipitous…that this ceremony kicks off on Valentine’s Day. Our birthday. Thank you, everyone,” adds Reno.
Since 2017, Nemesis has built a reputation for its community-centred locations, acting as catalysts for creators and dreamers, through its inviting space, dynamic music, excellent coffee, pastries, and elevated brunch. Guests can explore Nemesis locations in Vancouver (Gastown, Great Northern Way), North Vancouver (Polygon), Surrey (Pavilion), and Coquitlam (TriCity).
For more information about Nemesis, please visit