Found Coffee is passionate about creating coffee for a cause––by drinking their high-quality, organic coffee, you play a role in giving back to the community.
A portion of Found Coffee's proceeds go towards supporting various social justice initiatives that aim to rebuild communities, fight mental illness and battle poverty. The initiatives that Found Coffee support rotate on a regular basis. Most recently, they have been donating to the Scott Mission organization, and in the past, they are have worked with the Canadian Red Cross and Preemptive Love, which provides aid for displaced people in the Middle East. They also have their own initiative called 'Found Forward' which customers can donate to in order to create a collective gift card that will be given to a local community member that needs it the most.
On top of their community-driven business model, they offer a variety of beverages and bites for customers to enjoy. They have a toast bar, an organic steel cut oat bar, and an espresso bar that includes organic teas.
The newest addition to their oat bar is 'The Fruit,' which is a combination of steel cut oats, pure vanilla and locally-sourced maple and cinnamon, topped with sliced bannanas, strawberries, blueberries, oak milk and warm honey.
When it comes to their beverages, their flagship drink is 'The Doctor' which is served either hot or iced. It is a stronger, sweeter and smoother version of their regular 'White' milk-based espresso. Additionally, a local favourite is Found's take on an iced Americano, called the 'Iced Black.' It is made with a double shot of fresh, single-origin coffee, filtered ice water and your choice of milk or cream-based additive. These two refreshing and smooth caffeine-kicks are perfect for the summer months.
The founder, Leighton Walters, moved to Toronto in 2019. Prior to his move, Walters had worked in specialty coffee around Australia and Indonesia for 18 years. Walters opened Found Coffee with the intention of creating "a cafe community experience" that "feels good and does good too." In doing so, Walters established a coffee house that is fixated on "environmental sustainability, ethical sourcing and community service."
After witnessing the pain and mental hardships people were experiencing as a result of the pandemic, Walters was motivated to take his positive intentions a step further. This is when the act of investing in social justice initiatives began.
Future plans for the coffee shop include an alcohol bar that will offer a curated selection of premium beer, wine, cocktails and other alcoholic beverages. Additionally, Found Coffee may expand across the world and build a store in Australia.
Found Coffee is located at 324 College Street and their pouring hours are Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
