East Toronto Coffee Co. is a new café located at 2318 Danforth Ave (Unit 5), in between Woodbine and Main Street Station. The café is open daily: Monday-Friday 7:30am-5pm, Saturday 8am-4pm & Sunday 9am-4pm*. Opening its doors at the start of 2020, the café was recently announced as blogTO’s #1 best new café in Toronto. Here’s why:
ATMOSPHERE
East Toronto Coffee Co. prides itself as being a community hub for locals. From its very beginning, the café encouraged coming together by hosting a neighbourhood exchange of patrons’ mugs, spoons, and framed photos for coffee. It was a way to introduce the coffee shop to the area, and collect décor to add personality to the café. Beach Metro covered the event, found here.
The café achieves its homey look/vibe with these touches and its mish-mash of furniture. Here, you’ll find leather armchairs, bright yellow high stools, and even vintage fridges (used as décor). The space is cozy and feels like the physical embodiment of an East End collage.
As the café is centred on locality, you’ll also find a variety of local products sold in the shop. These include hot chocolate bombs, tote bags, books, honey, dog treats, bath bombs, 'bird cards', and more. Some merchandise can also be purchased on their website, and picked up in-store.
MENU
One of East Toronto Coffee Co.’s most attractive elements is their well-sized and affordable beverage menu. Drinks at the café range from $2-$5.50. Coffee-based beverages are made with Ruffino, and tea-based are made with Genuine Tea.
The café has quickly become infamous for their rainbow lattes. This beautiful beverage is beloved by coffee drinkers and Instagrammers alike, and its cost is a perfect example of the café’s affordability. A small rainbow latte only costs $3.75, and a large costs $4.75. East End Toronto Coffee Co. doesn’t upcharge their aesthetically pleasing products, like some other cafés would. (P.S. I ordered this beverage and it is as delicious as it is beautiful).
Their toasted marshmallow hot chocolate is another popular seller. Made with Ghirardelli chocolate syrup and a generous marshmallow layer, it’s a sweet and tasty option, especially for non-coffee drinkers. Have a sweet tooth and love coffee? Turn the drink into a mocha!
More to note about their beverage menu:
1) Brewed coffee, no matter the size, is the same price.
2) The café offers a range of flavour shots.
3) Milk substitutions cost $0.75 and include almond, oat, & soy.
4) Whipped cream can be added to your drink for an additional $0.75.
As for eats, there is a small variety offered at the café. Options include cookies, scones, muffins, loafs, and sandwiches/wraps; all are baked fresh daily. Pricewise, these range from $2.50-$5.65.
HOW TO SUPPORT THEM
Along with visiting the café for coffee runs, other great ways to support East Toronto Coffee Co. - and the other local businesses they’re partnered with - include the following:
1) Purchase gift cards to the café as gifts or for future visits.
2) Buy a bag of their house blend (Main ST.ay – an homage to the East End) to brew at home.
3) Grab some of their local merchandise for sale in-store or online.
4) Participate in their raffles that support charity. You can learn about any upcoming initiatives by following them on Instagram.
SUMMARY
East Toronto Coffee Co. is a neighbourhood coffee shop that champions locality. Located in Toronto’s East Danforth (between Woodbine & Main Street Station), the café is open daily and is a place for locals to gather over a cup of coffee. The café has a homey look and vibe that brings together elements of the community it serves. From old family photos to varying furniture pieces, the coffee shop is a sort of collaged embodiment of the East End. Besides the sense of community you feel when visiting, one of the coffee shop’s most attractive elements is its wide and affordably priced beverage menu. The café is popular for its rainbow latte and toasted marshmallow hot chocolate, and after trying both myself, I can assure either are great options to choose when visiting (however I’m bias towards the coffee-based beverage). The café also serves a small rotating food menu that includes cookies, scones, muffins, loafs, and sandwiches/wraps. If you live in the East End, it is a coffee shop I urge you to visit.
*Given the COVID-19 pandemic, hours and offerings depicted in this post may be skewed as businesses adapt to better serve its staff, customers, and community.
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