What do you get when you cross a now takeout-only bar and restaurant that has extra space due to lockdown, and a woman looking for a low-overhead way to support herself (and her adorable pup) and showcase her quarantine hobbies?
Two Hot Babes Coffee Co. was the result of filling these two needs and is offering a no-frills pourover coffee experience out of Bloorcourt's Wenona Lodge. What was once a craft beer and comfort food spot with cozy, welcoming cottage vibes has now (like other restaurants in the city) turned into a takeout-only joint with a bottle shop. As such, they had some extra real estate to offer up, which is where Nancy Silverman comes in. Her self-proclaimed "COVID survival project" involves herself and her sweet dog Penny Lane putting together a modest, low-key coffee joint to help keep them afloat. When Silverman found herself jobless and financially strained once the pandemic hit, she wanted to find a way to launch a thoughtful project while helping out a business in need. And thus, Two Hot Babes Coffee Co. was born.
Silverman is a former yoga teacher who found herself without steady work back in March, due to the enormous strain that this pandemic has had on the fitness industry. Once her idea was crafted, she began using the front window space of Wenona Lodge to serve up her delicious, freshly brewed pourover coffee, which comes from popular Toronto spot De Mello coffee. She serves loose leaf tea from female-owned Sloane Tea as well as homemade salted dark chocolate chunk cookies and dog treats. There are also a few retail items available to help guests bring the pourover coffee practice home with them, including Hario drippers and filters. She's launched her own affordably-run business by eliminating the need for espresso with her brewing method, baking her own treats (a quarantine hobby) and leasing a cheap space from a Toronto bar that also benefits from the relationship.
The partnership has allowed Wenona's space to open earlier in the day and take advantage of the extra time before bottle shop hours, while Silverman's setup has brought in some welcomed early morning energy and traffic into the bar. With her experience as a barista and a business manager, Silverman has managed to build something meaningful and creative while financially supporting herself during tough times.
Two Hot Babes Coffee Co. is currently operating from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every weekday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends (with overlapping hours from noon onwards with the Wenona bottle shop). Head on over to grab a cup of coffee made with love and support this wonderful Toronto partnership!
