Caked Coffee is a bright and clean café that opened about a month ago in the High Park area. Opening up a storefront when we are still in the middle of a pandemic is both bold and challenging. The moment you step in the store, you will be greeted with an interesting interior design that makes you feel like you are at someone’s living room. Shortly after, you will be greeted by the husband and wife and their lovely 15 month old son making the while experience feel like you are a guest to someone’s house rather than entering a coffee shop.
Not any form of boast but I am actually CUSTOMER #1 haha! Back in December, I was walking around the High Park area. The last time I was in that area was back in high school when I volunteered at a community centre close by. So wondering what has changed over the years, I decided to walk from Lansdowne subway station to Keele subway station (total 1.6km). While most shops seem to remain the same, Caked Coffee caught my eye because of how clean the sign looked. Not knowing anything a single thing about the store other than it possibly being a coffee shop, I walked in. I was greeted with a warm welcome from the family owners and was told their store will open in 30 minutes. After a brief conversation with them, I found out that I walked in on their first day of business in a brick-and-mortar location.
Coffee, teas, handmade pastries and baked goods such as cupcakes, brownies, cupcakes, and cookies that are 100% vegan. The store owners are so passionate and have put in so much time to ensure what they serve is how they want it to be.
We are 100% vegan! Even our souls are vegan!
Caked Coffee Shop Owners
They also serve artisanal sandwiches and pizzas made in-house, the idea being to spread the tastiness of vegan food and make the coffee shop more like a café-restaurant hybrid. The first thing that caught my eye is its open kitchen. Having the food made right in front of you and as a customer knowing everything that is done to your food including the ingredients and methods makes you more confident in knowing what you have put in your stomach. Seems like a simple thing, but not many business have the courage to actually execute. Why? Well…when you decide to have an open kitchen you are telling your customers that you have the confidence that everything you do there is nothing a customer can complain about – from making the food itself to the cleaning of the counter each time an item is made.
It doesn’t matter if you are vegan or not, whether you are in search of caffeine for your long day of work ahead or are interested in learning about vegan cuisine, Caked Coffee is a café with warm and welcoming owners that is definitely worth a visit the next time you are in the area.
Check them out on Instagram @cakedcoffeetoronto