HWY Café started as a dream to bring vegan comfort food to travellers, hungry workers and campers. Over four years in business, it became a community forum that bonded the owners, Laura and Leo Mooney, to the Sea to Sky.
The Mooneys announced they were closing HWY Café Sept. 30, and their last day of business was Oct. 13.
What started as a grab-and-go vegan joint evolved into a food trailer with a full menu of plant-based delights that tripled in size from inception to closure. Pemberton's love for the spot shows, considering the café landed on the Best of Pemberton list in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
The growth of the business happened in lockstep with the growth of the Mooney family. In April of 2020, Laura found out she was pregnant. The couple worked hard to maintain the business and care for their child, but since the pair both come from Ontario, help from family was thousands of kilometres away. That, combined with the lack of affordable or available childcare options in Pemberton, meant they made the difficult decision to move back to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
“It was hard, and it's hard not having family," Laura said. "And I know a lot of families go through it, and I've heard more times than I could have ever imagined, people coming up to me saying they feel like they're in the same boat, or they've thought about moving back home too, and it's definitely something that's going on. And I don't know what the answer is, but it's hard. It's hard for young families out here for a lot of different reasons.
But the hardest thing about the decision is leaving the community.
"We literally just wanted to open a little vegan restaurant and just serve vegan food, but it's become this giant family and community that we never could have envisioned,” she said.
Love for HWY Café extended down to Vancouver, with regulars driving up on the last weekend of operations to wish the Mooneys farewell.
“I think the support in the final weekend really showed that there has been this beautiful, big community around us this entire time. I feel that’s what kept us going,” Laura said.
Meeting people’s needs fuelled the couple’s dreams, and in turn, they gave supporters inclusive options for families, including children with dairy allergies who could finally enjoy vegan soft-serve ice cream safely on a hot summer day.
When they make the move back to Ontario, they’ll bring their mobile food trailer and start recreating their offering at events and festivals to establish their presence. The mobility allows flexibility for the family as they settle into their new home.
“It's this really bittersweet feeling of leaving here, but also being very proud of what we've accomplished and done over the last four years. We're closing here, but we are able to move it out there. I think that's something to be pretty proud of,” Laura said.
As a veteran vegan, she’s involved through social media with community in the Big Smoke, which gives her insight and connection to the local market.
Some of her favourite memories include seeing families grow and watching the seasons of people’s lives.
“People would bring their family from out of town," she said. "That meant so much to us because, it meant this is an important stop on their Pemberton tour.”
The decision to say goodbye, while emotional, ultimately showed her the care and connection of Pembertonians.
“I'm so emotional when I talk about it, because I literally can't believe that this happened, I mean that in the best way possible. It's this beautiful and heartbreaking thing that we've created,” she said.
“If it wasn't this special, we would be able to leave no problem. But it's been a really hard decision, and I think that just speaks to the community we've been involved in. I would just say a giant thank you, and I just wish I could hug everyone.”
