Frequently Asked Questions

What is the story behind the bus?
The bus started its life in Liverpool in 1967. It was later imported into British Columbia in 1982 to be utilized as a Victoria transit bus. Once finished its life as a transit bus a sight seeing company used it till very recently as hop on hop off tours of Victoria primarily focused at the Cruise Ship Market.
 
How did you come across the bus?
The bus was discovered on kijiji where the sightseeing company who previously ran the buses had their fleet mechanic list it. The bus was located just past Sooke, almost in Jordan River where it sat alongside 4 other buses that were also for sale.
 
How did you get the bus to the mainland, does it run?
Yes the bus runs, and as such we drove it up to Nanaimo, over the ferry (with ¾ inch to spare), and up the see to sky to where you see it now.
 
How was the trip?
Extremely stressful. The front windshield blew out of the bus. Then second story windows started to pop out due to the air pressure being forced in the front of the bus.
 
Can the bus still run, will it tour around as a food truck?
Technically yes it still runs, but it will stay in its current location at the Alexander Falls Ski Touring Center. The logistics of moving it if it were to break down on the road are very expensive, let alone sourcing parts for it would be extremely difficult. 

​Does Callaghan Country own Double Decker Coffee Roasting?
No, Double Decker Coffee Roasting is the sole proprietorship of Patrick Sills. Although he works for Callaghan Country as their Lead Groomer, the bus is a separate entity from Callaghan Country. However, where you find one you will likely find the other.
 
Where does Double Decker Coffee Roasting source their coffee beans from?
Mountain Coffee Imports based out of Delta. They acquire beans from all over the world, to varying degrees of specificity. Beans can be found by their geographic origin, lot size, variety, and processing method.
 
What Coffee Roaster does Double Decker Coffee Roasting use?
Diedrich IR 2.5  kilo Profiling Roaster. This machine allows 5 lbs batch sizes and can roughly do 4 batches an hour. Though it may not have a huge output, its strength lies in its flexibility and ability to make small unique roasts.
 
What are the difficulties of working in the bus?
The two biggest issues of running a coffee related business out of the bus is storage of green and roasted beans, as well as environmental temperatures. Due to the bus’s lack of insulation, huge amount of single pane glass, and breezy structure, it is very hard to dictate temperature. In regards to green and roasted beans, this can change the humidity in the bean dramatically changing the flavour. In regards to roasting, a constantly changing environmental temperature makes it much harder to replicate roasts from day to day. Its simply another variable to watch and work with.