Once upon a time, Eric Murphy was an IT Executive at The Original Cakerie — a great career, but one that had lost its spark. Craving a new challenge and a deeper sense of connection, he began dreaming of opening a café — one of those special places where people say, “Let’s grab a coffee” and conversations come to life.

Encouraged by a colleague, Eric bought a small roasting machine and set out to master the perfect espresso roast. Before long, his workshop smelled like a coffeehouse, and he quietly handed in his resignation just before Christmas 2014.

At the time, Eric was co-coaching his daughter’s ringette team with his friend Craig Williams. Craig loved the idea and offered to help. Soon, Eric was showing up at practices with a trunk full of coded coffee samples, handing them out to curious parents for feedback. One of those parents, Jenny Fechter, was immediately impressed. When she learned about Eric’s new venture, L’aromas, she offered her marketing and design expertise to help bring the brand to life.

And just like that, three friends — Eric, Craig, and Jenny — embarked on the adventure of launching a coffee roasting company from the ground up.

While searching for the perfect café space, Eric purchased a custom coffee trailer and even traded his executive BMW for a pickup truck to tow it. That first summer, the trio poured coffee at local markets, swim meets, and community events — dreaming up the future of L’aromas between customers. The response was incredible, and their dream gained momentum.

By summer 2015, Eric found the ideal first location: Petra’s Café in Tsawwassen. The long-loved neighborhood café wasn’t for sale — until a few heartfelt conversations led Petra to pass the torch. L’aromas officially opened its doors in July 2015.