Sweet Pape Village just got a little sweeter with the opening of Oliver Coffee Bar, a micro café with great coffee and even greater craic.
James Thompson, an Irish expat and the owner of Oliver Coffee Bar, has always wanted to own his own café, his own little stamp in the city. When he saw the space up for lease in Pape Village he knew immediately that it was the prefect size, perfect price and perfect neighborhood to host his dream. Located between the Pape business strip and an art school, Oliver Coffee Bar is at the coziest junction in Old East York.
If you're unfamiliar with the phrase, craic is an Irish term for the energy behind social conversation and activities, the chats, the fun times, etc. It really has no translation in North American English. Oliver Coffee Bar is named after James' grandfather James Oliver Wallace -- always a big influence on James' life and an amazing storyteller (he was great craic, you could say).
For James, it's the community that puts the icing on the cake of Oliver's Coffee Bar. He replaced a hairdresser that was here for 20 years, and is joining a neighbor that has had their business for 15 years; this is an area where people come to stay. During the renovations (which took a long time), the neighborhood was super excited and so welcoming, something James had deeply missed during his 12-years as a managing barista downtown. Although he had his regulars, he finally found the community vibe had been searching for where people actually wanted to know about you, coming from a small town in Ireland, he could finally satisfy that craving of home.
James' partner Red, an interior designer and stager, helped James bring his dreams for Oliver's Coffee Bar to life. Red built the mood board based on James' preferences, and together they brought the project to life. Featuring '70s revival style wood paneling, matte black accents, a sea-salt countertop, it's a welcoming, clean space (with a patio hopefully opening up in the warmer months).
Oliver's offers a full-service coffee bar including matcha, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, and a tea menu. Their coffee is sourced from Zafiato, a family-run roasters in Tilsonburg, Ontario. They also offer cookies, danishes, croissants and dessert bars, sourced from all over Toronto. In the future, look out for James' next project, Oliver 0%. These will be a series of coffee cocktails like espresso martinis and Irish coffee that are highly crafted but without alcohol content.
Oliver's Coffee Bar is a micro café for micro moments. Customers pop by, sit in for a few minutes, drink their espresso and eat their Danish, all while sharing in the banter. The small space is purposeful, close enough to keep everyone in the conversation, but with enough separate seating that you could just enjoy your coffee in peace.
