There are millions of podcasts out there.
They range in topics from public radio-style broadcasts from fictional and fantastical places to a deep dive into the Cathy comic series to a look at modern fairy sightings.
And B.C. podcaster Julie Gauthier, aka Julie G, reads menus to help people fall asleep on her show Pepperoni Pizza Dreams.
In her most recent episode, she reads from four Vancouver locations: Their There, Hunnybee Bruncheonette, Caffè La Tana, and Bao Bei.
"It's silly—and it works! The menu readings are diverting, but low stakes and just mundane enough that listeners don't get too invested and can still fall asleep," she says in an email to Vancouver Is Awesome.
The 26-minute episode imagines a day in Vancouver as a visitor to the city, exploring coffees at Their There, breakfast at Hunnybee Bruncheonette, lunch at Caffè La Tana, and dinner at Bao Bei.
At each place she reads the menu word-for-word (though she skips prices), including descriptions of dishes and restaurant rules, like gratuities at Bao Bei.
"Flat white, cappuccino, latte, add oat milk," she reads from the Their There menu.
"Pasta del giorno. Please ask your server for today’s selection," she reads at another point from the Caffe La Tana menu.
The menus are knit together with a short description of activities that might happen in between stopping at each restaurant.
What is the Pepperoni Pizza Dreams podcast?
So far Gauthier is only 23 episodes in, but she's already gotten significant attention, including from England's The Guardian, which named Pepperoni Pizza Dreams one of the best podcasts for the week of Feb. 10, 2025.
She created the podcast to help people fall asleep; there's a whole genre of podcasts dedicated to falling asleep, but many focus on reading old books or meditating.
Sleep podcasts are a new growth area in the wellness market. It's an industry that McKinsey & Company, a consultancy firm, estimates is worth about $1.8 trillion globally.
Gautheir is also a foodie. Based in Victoria, she collected menus from local places before launching the podcast.
“It was important to me that the idea be original,” she recently told the Times Colonist.
She's also read menus from restaurants and cafés in Ottawa, Edmonton, Portland, and Victoria.
With files from Michael John Lo/Times Colonist
