Grip Tire in Port Moody commissioned artist Rose Kapp to create a hiking map for their customers.
Three years ago, when Dean Washington bought Grip Tire and Auto on St. Johns Street in Port Moody, he and his daughter walked downtown and met the neighbors.
“She was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to have a walking map for our customers? ‘” said Washington, who is also a Port Coquitlam councilman and president of RPM Media Inc.
After all, their customers would ask Grip staff what to do – and where to go – for about an hour while their tires were changed or their vehicles were repaired.
Washington simmered his daughter’s idea until Jamie Cuthbert walked into Grip. He asked the contractor if he knew of a local artist who could create a walking map for customers.
His answer ? Rose Kappan illustrator, draftsman and designer whose work is well known in Port Moody.
In January, Washington commissioned Kapp to prepare a walking map to show area landmarks and restaurants that are open during the day and within walking distance of Grip.
And, on Tuesday (March 1), the pair picked up 1,000 hard copies for the first run – a colorful trifold on legal-size glossy paper that was printed by Minuteman Press in Coquitlam.
WHERE TO VISIT, EAT
Showcasing Kapp’s signature style, the map features his watercolors of the North Shore, Burrard Inlet and Rocky Point Park, as well as whimsical drawings of buildings and businesses: among them Brewers Row, cafes, bakeries, delis and civic facilities like the Port Moody Station Museum and PoMoArts (formerly known as Port Moody Arts Centre).
And, for clear orientation, Kapp has grouped each of the five categories by color to correspond to a card number:
- yellow for breweries and spirits
- pink for casual cafes and restaurants
- red for restaurants
- blue for shopping
- purple for food stores and delicatessens
Kapp said she was intrigued by some of downtown’s distinct architectural elements, like the Moody Center building, and highlighted their unique features in her drawings.
“There are a lot of hidden gems in the community,” she said. “A lot of them go unnoticed.”
Washington told the News from the three cities that he was so impressed with the results that he showed the walking map to other Grip store managers to emulate, if possible, for their clientele.
So far, he said, the feedback from the Port Moody outlet has been overwhelming, with more than 100 hiking maps distributed in three days.
And, since many customers are new to the area, they appreciate the business that promotes downtown and encourages people to shop locally.
“Since we started in October 2019, we’ve averaged 100 new customers per month,” Washington said. “Most of these people just moved here and don’t know what’s around.”
Still, once the map’s first run is complete, Washington said it will update the model for the next run with Kapp to ensure the map remains current.
New businesses are popping up all the time, she said, noting the impending opening of Hard Bean Brunch Co. on Clarke Street.
Since launching the Grip card, Kapp said it has sparked interest from other companies to create similar projects for their customers.