When the coffee shop in their local area closed, Alia Elturk-Abdelwahid and her husband Abdulkeni Abdelwahid noticed a need in their Scarborough community for a hub where people could gather. They decided to open their own café, but their idea is more than just serving up coffee and pastries.
“We want to be a welcoming space for all,” says Alia about their café, The Burrow Coffee.
The Burrow offers a “sip and shop” experience where guests can enjoy their coffee while perusing products from local vendors. The café is large and brightly lit with shelves and booths displaying unique handmade products that are all created by people within the surrounding area. From home-sewn aprons to crafted jewelry and homemade halal candies, the products reflect the diversity of the surrounding community.
“What we all have in common is that we love Scarborough… what we want is to help these people make money and give back to a community that is struggling,” she says.
The vendors are small business owners, most of them mothers and immigrants, who often struggle with limited opportunities like living on the outskirts of Toronto and the recent rising cost of living.
The Abdelwahid’s received almost 100 applications for booths in their café, some even from outside the province, something neither of them were truly prepared for.
“We ended up having around 600 people show up the first day and we were just blown away with the support,” Alia says. The amount of interest in their idea has indicated a need for community spaces like this to exist, which is something the Abdelwahid’s are hoping to tackle in the future.
“Our goal is to eventually open up large warehouses outside the city, something like St. Lawrence Market where people can have brick and mortar shops for their businesses without worrying about paying rent prices,” they say.
Sabinah Emamaullee-Hossenbux is the owner of BéBé Biscotti, one of the vendors featured in the shop. Not only is she grateful to have her products sold in a physical space, but she also says she is thankful for the sense of family she feels being part of The Burrow Coffee’s atmosphere.
“As small business owners we are not just putting a product out there to sell. It’s a piece of our heart and soul that we put into these products so people can experience what we love to make,” she says.
While browsing the store, guests can enjoy any typical café drink with coffee sourced from a father son duo out of Windsor. With her background, Alia can make a Turkish coffee or their own creation “The Burrow Latte” with vanilla and caramel. The cookies, cakes and sandwiches are made by various local bakers and chefs.
After only a month since their grand opening, the success of The Burrow Coffee is evident. Alia expresses that there is no bias or difference when people enter the store. They simply want it to be a safe space in the community where everyone can feel loved and supported.
“This is really our passion project more than anything,” says Alia. “We love Scarborough and we believe in the community and we just wanted to give something back,” she says.
