Happy Daze
Happy Daze caters to a niche audience looking for a little something extra with their caffeine addiction. Part cafe and part smoke shop, the space has desserts, coffee and a variety of paraphernalia to suit your habits and tastes. Owners Michelle Cordeiro and Jamal Ahmad are laid back and relaxed, and opened the cafe about 5 months ago.
I order a single espresso macchiato ($1.75) and it comes in a retro black and white Elvis cup. The beans are 100 per cent Brazilian, and there is no extra charge for specialty milk. Cory and I split a white chocolate marshmallow bar ($2.00) and it is chewy and sweet, with chunks of nuts inside. It's lovely to dip into an espresso even if it doesn't exactly dissolve.
Everything on the menu is made in-house. Their dessert options change daily from carrot cake to banana cake with raisins. Other hot beverages include specialty hot chocolate ($1.50) exotic teas ($2.00) and lattes ($2.00).
Customers can enjoy free WiFi and while there is limited seating space, their back patio will be opening soon and feature live music shows. A fruit juice and wheat grass bar will also be added in the coming weeks. When it comes to their smoke shop, Cordeiro explains that their products are comparatively priced and everything is hand crafted by local artists.
Cordeiro and Ahmad say their shop has been very popular with local musicians, comics and writers. Both wanted to open up this hybrid cafe because they couldn't find another type of its kind in the neighbourhood.
Happy Daze is open from 9 a.m to 9 p.m Tuesday- Sunday.
