Cult North Vancouver donut shop to open second location in old Cartems Donuts storefront

Cartems Donuts shut down its final Main Street location last month.

Those mourning the loss of Main Street’s Cartems Donuts look set to be offered sweet relief as another Metro Vancouver business has announced it will be filling the ring-shaped hole left behind by the gourmet business.

North Vancouver’s Cream Pony has announced plans to move into the space at 2190 Main St., which has sat empty since Cartems departed last month after 14 years of serving gourmet donuts to the masses.

“We’ve actually wanted to have Cream Pony in Mount Pleasant ever since this crazy dream started,” said Alix Finn, who opened the first North Vancouver location with mum Erin Smith in 2021, in a social media video on Wednesday.

“All we’ve ever wanted is to be in a cool heritage building, just like we are in North Vancouver,” she said.

Currently, Cream Pony’s only outpost is its original, located on 1st Street East, tucked within “Lolo Lane” alleyway in the North Shore’s burgeoning Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood.

Despite North Vancouver’s already applauded throng of donut shops, Cream Pony managed to make space for itself in the fried treat scene and nestled in among the greats with its buttermilk chicken and brioche donuts.

While the store’s inventive flavours change with the season or to mark special occasions – like the recent St. Patrick’s Day inspired Lucky Charms edition and the svelte red-glossed Lunar New Year offering – it is Cream Pony’s sprinkled, Homer Simpson-esque specialties that have become most synonymous with the brand.

Those, and the store’s signature chicken sandwiches.

In the video, Finn acknowledged the big shoes that the family owned business will be looking to fill when it moves into the Mount Pleasant location.

Cartems was housed in an “incredible building” and was an “amazing business,” said Finn, touching on how Cream Pony looks up to what their famed contemporary has managed to achieve.

“We found out that Cartems was closing, and we watched the whole community here rally for them, cheer for them, and say goodbye to them,” she said.

“To live up to the challenge and the legacy of Cartems is terrifying.”

While Finn didn’t specify when the ribbon would be cut on the business’ second store, she did promise it will be coming “someday soon.”