You may have been familiar with the hole in the wall coffee shop on Spadina, but if not the shop itself, then most definitely it's owner, Josh Campos, who was a consistent presence at the Richmond and Spadina cross-section.
The cafe measured no bigger than a closet -- about 18 total square feet; with just enough space for himself, a state-of-the-art machine and some of the finest coffee beans one can get their hands on. Along with a few pastries, this tiny shop served hot brew to the likes of commuters, tourists and the leisurely Sunday stroller.
Josh Campos in his tiny cafe, slinging some brews.
The shop itself had changed plenty over the years and even once had a sister-store on Bloor for a short period of time. Yet, the most unfortunate change of them all was announced on January 14th, when Campos announced that The Coffee Lab was closing its doors permanently.
In a farewell post on Instagram, Campos wrote, "This past Saturday was our official last day at The Coffee Lab. Its been a long journey since we started back in 2014... Its been an adventure." Read the whole post below:
Fans of the popular shop shared heartfelt messages on social media, expressing their sadness over the closure. User @kat.yeezy added, "Thank you for serving some of the best coffee I've had. Sad to see you go! But all the best." The sentiment that Campos was serving some of the best coffee in the city was pretty unanimous.
Even though the closure comes with a great deal of sadness, it's not all bad news. Campos announced his new coffee subscription venture and promised loyal patrons to keep an eye out for things to come in the future.
Despite the sad goodbye, we're excited to see how Campos grows his subscription service and we'll be on the lookout for all upcoming projects. Great things really do come in small packages (or spaces).
