The brand story began in 2009, on a night when Stefanie had a vivid and profound dream. In the dream, she saw a breathtaking scene of flowers blooming everywhere, unfolding like a splendid tapestry. In this vision, coffee had swept across the land of China overnight, filling the air with its rich aroma. Another image appeared in the dream: a brand logo shaped like an hourglass ⏳, continuously turning in a circular trajectory. This symbolized the recording of time and foreshadowed the arrival of something significant.
My Dream
From that dream onward, Stefanie embarked on a 12-year journey of coffee learning and running coffee shops. She once opened two physical coffee shops in Richmond, Canada, a city with a large Chinese population. She also worked and interned at various coffee brands: the bustling Starbucks in the airport, Blenz on the UBC campus, Bean Around the World in the city center, as well as other community centers and chain cafés in Oakridge Mall. During this time, she earned six specialty coffee certifications from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) under the mentorship of SCA judge John Sander.
In 2013, she successfully opened the first Italove Coffee shop at Aberdeen Square. It became known for its signature “Memory Photo Latte,” which gained citywide popularity. The brand expanded in 2019 with a second location that combined in-house roasted specialty coffee, day-time café offerings, and night-time live music and drinks. It quickly became a local favorite, often requiring reservations. Italove’s unique touches—like the “Love Message Book” and the “Love Tree with Heart Locks”—accumulated many cherished memories of love.
Then in 2020, the second year of the pandemic, coffee indeed exploded across China, just as Stefanie had dreamed a decade earlier—coffee culture became a national phenomenon. In late 2021, Stefanie felt the call of God and began a four-year journey of full-time theological studies. During that time, she led church missions and ministries, including at Vancouver’s Coastal Church, where she served in Alpha ministries, life groups, and seminary teaching within the Mandarin-speaking department, becoming a pioneer in that space.
Today
Now in 2025, as she reflects on the past 16 years, Stefanie is filled with emotion. She realizes that Italove is a calling rooted in “eternal love.” A journey that began with love, was sustained by love, endured through love, and was refined by love—ultimately leading to the source of eternal love. She has come to clearly see that the ultimate and eternal love is God, and God is that ultimate love.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
— Revelation 22:13 NIV
Italove returns once again, inviting everyone in this generation to embark on a journey of seeking love, seeking light, and finding the way home for the soul. God loves the world, giving each of us a chance to encounter Him—the Creator God, the source of eternal love, and the Life. From that encounter, our lives are transformed. We come to truly know love, experience love, awaken to life, and live out a renewed existence. The God who created all things is calling each one of us. Are you ready? Come and experience this journey of love and the ultimate truth of life — “Come and See — Jesus”
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
— John 3:16, NIV
Italove – A Shelter for Broken Hearts.
A Living Testimony of God‘s Grace and Miracles.
— Stefanie Xu 徐沐歆