Hidden on a tiny street north of Queen, just east of the Don Valley Parkway, Merchants of Green Coffee is a 3,000 square foot Little House on the Prairie style café in Toronto's Riverside neighbourhood. Here the energy moves rapidly like the highway, but there's a distinctly grassroots way of doing business.
Merchants of Green Coffee feels like something bigger than a coffee shop. You sense that there's more than meets the eye here - and it's true. “It’s a multifaceted business, but the café is our face,” says Meagan Thibeault, a barista at Merchants of Green Coffee as well the company’s communications director. “It was very organic the way the café came about and it’s still got that vibe,” she says, looking out from behind an old Victoria Arduino espresso machine to the hodgepodge of vintage couches and coffee tables that are scattered around the vast space.
On weekends Merchants of Green Coffee becomes a community hub and during the week regulars are busy typing away on their laptops or meeting colleagues to discuss work projects. It's got to be one of the most inspiring space in Toronto.
In addition to coffee by the cup, half litre or litre, the Merchants of Green Coffee menu also features espresso-based beverages, teas, seasonal specials and a few baked goods.
