Toronto's coffee co-op. The Ind_pendent

Hi all! First of all, sorry for missing last week’s post, my apologies! I was seriously hoping that the days would magically lengthen by a couple of hours so I could fit everything I need to into the day. I don’t need that much extra time, just a couple more hours to make up for my daily commute! This week I revisited a little shop that I’ve been to before. The first time I came, two things caught my attention. One was their collection of super cool nerdy décor, figurines and comics. The second was their love of coffee. It’s called ‘The Independent Coffee’. Due to renovations and future plans they’ve lost the nerdy décor (sorry nerds!) but their passion for coffee remains.

This coffee shop appeared at 96 Spadina, where ‘Sense Appeal’ used to stand. It was created out of a need for a friendly coffee co-op in the community. As one of the owners described to me; they seek to create a barista-customer relationship similar to one you might have with your local bartender. It seems to me that they are going in the right direction with this one! I always enjoy a place where the staff are approachable and chatty. Unfortunately this trait seems to be lacking in many coffee shops nowadays. Definitely a turn-off for me, as well as many of you I’m sure. As I mentioned before, they are currently undergoing renovations, yet still they manage to keep a nice cozy vibe happening. A very professional almost loft-like (despite being a tiny space) atmosphere make this a lovely spot to grab your morning coffee. You can tell that the décor is designed by ma(i)ly men (pun intended). Note the exposed brickwork, wooden shelves and countertops, industrial lighting and high ceilings. Scattered decorative plants bring a little light and life into the room.

After some nice chit-chatting with the barista I decided to go for my new go-to, a flat white. They use beans from Toronto’s own Hale Roasters. I could taste notes of bittersweet orange, pairing perfectly with the velvety-smooth foamed milk. I also tried an espresso shot. It was one of the barista’s favourites but was a bit too bitter for my untrained palate. For all you tea lovers out there ‘The Independent’ carries a wide variety of teas from Genuine Tea and Chaiwala and they will gladly make you a chai latte, London fog or matcha latte. Side food note: one of the baristas also happens to be a chef and will soon be serving up tasty bites!

This little shop is the perfect place to grab a tasty bite before work or a delicious drink during lunch break. Please stop by and enjoy a hot or cold (yes, it’s finally getting warm Torontonians!!!) drink to sip on and let them know that I sent you! Small spots like this live off of community support so let’s give them some love Thank you all for reading and see you next week!!