BY MACRINA SMART
(photo: CoffeeGeek)
To enthusiasts, coffee is more than just a drink; it’s a lifestyle. The pleasantly bitter brew provides the wickedness in your wit, the pep in your step, and helps put the smile on your face. For true believers, the where of the coffee ritual is as important as the beverage itself. Over the past few years, Toronto has seen a significant proliferation of independent coffeehouses competing against mass-market heavyweights like Starbucks and Tim Horton’s. Some of Toronto’s best coffee shops have been so successful that they’ve fostered mini-chains of their own: Dark Horse Espresso Bar now has four locations; award-winning barista Sam James boasts a trio of eponymous outlets; Crema Coffee Co., Lit Espresso Bar and even I Deal Coffee also operate a bevy of shops across the city. To be sure these are all excellent cafés, but their brand expansions put them somewhat at odds with what it means to be truly “indie” in this day and age. So, below, we honour a few of Toronto’s smaller, really independent coffee hangouts that pack a big caffeinated punch.
