Most people would have no idea what to do with a broken-down bus covered in bullet holes. Aleah, the owner of the Wild Thyme Coffee House on Saturna Island, British Columbia, is not most people.
In 2012, Aleah found a vintage Leyland double-decker bus in a junkyard. The bus was built in 1963 and used as public transportation until 1976. In 1978, the bus was the mascot and team transportation for Canada in the Commonwealth Games in Alberta. Possibly because of its colorful history, the bus had broken windows and was covered with a smattering of bullet holes. She saw huge potential.
After five months of hard work, Aleah turned this piece of history into the Wild Thyme Coffee House. The coffee house serves breakfast and lunch every day, houses a full espresso bar, and serves only locally grown coffee. Check out the amazing transformation below.
The Wild Thyme Coffee House is a beautiful and unique establishment now, but it didn’t always look like this.
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The owner, Aleah, found the Leyland double-decker bus in a junkyard in Surrey, British Columbia. It was a far cry from its original working state.
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A ferry brought the bus to Saturna Island. It almost didn’t fit onto the boat, with only two inches of overhead clearance.
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Aleah and her friends quickly got to work on refurbishing the bus.
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Here’s a look at the inside of the bus before any repairs were made. It definitely needed some TLC.
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To work on the upper level, they installed a plywood floor to avoid falling through.
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The bus needed 42 custom-made windows.
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The busted grill needed a new bumper and fiberglass molding.
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Here’s a picture of the kitchen, half-way renovated.
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The bus got a new coat of paint.
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Aleah installed new benches.
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After a ton of hard work, Aleah secured a permit of operation and they were ready to open.
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The kitchen is so small, everyone has to work in a single-file line.
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The coffee house opens at 5:45 AM, with employees arriving at 4:30 AM to prepare.
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Guests can also enjoy classic video games with their coffee.
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Over 100 people were involved in the coffee house construction and refurbishing.
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(source Reddit)
Aleah gives a lot of credit to the people who helped her fix up the bus and the community of Saturna Island. The Wild Thyme website says, “without the support of our community, none of this would be possible.”
If you happen to be in British Columbia, check out the location and hours of operation for the Wild Thyme Coffee House here.
