A specialty coffee shop in Toronto closed its doors this week after failing to reach an "unbiased" lease renewal agreement with its landlord, forcing the business to look for an alternative location.
Third Wave Coffee, previously located at 42 Church St., was founded by former civil engineer Imad Al Safi, who decided to open his own coffee shop after failing to find one he liked in Toronto after moving here from the UAE.
Despite being new to the world of coffee, Imad placed an emphasis on sustainably sourced, expertly roasted, and meticulously brewed beans from Columbia, Brazil, Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Yemen.
The cafe served up all your coffee shop classics — including americanos, cappuccinos, and espresso shots — as well as refreshing drinks like the cold-brew-based affogato and espresso lemonade.
Earlier this week, staff at the cafe announced that Third Wave Coffee would be closing its doors on Dec. 2 after deciding not to extend its lease.
"We decided not to extend the lease and relocate our business, after failing to reach, what we believe is, fair and unbiased renewal terms with the landlord. An unforeseen situation that made such a difficult decision easy to make," the statement reads.
"We strongly believe that Third Wave Coffee, with its values and principles, deserves a better space with a landlord who appreciates the way we conduct our business, as much as our patrons and partners do," staff wrote.
They continued by thanking the community for the support.
"We remain grateful to the support of our community, patrons and partners over the past five years, and we will be missing you all! Until we meet again in our new premises, please continue supporting small businesses and stay well-caffeinated."
As expected, the post was met with an influx of heartbroken comments, with loyal customers vowing to visit the coffee shop wherever they decided to relocate.
"This is so sad!!! The best coffee date place for me in the whole city, will be waiting for the updates about your new location, team," one comment reads.
"Such sad news. The pistachio latte and croissant was to die for. Hoping we will be able to walk through the new doors soon," another person wrote.
blogTO reached out to the Third Wave Coffee team for more information about the closure. However, staff said that the details posted in the announcement are the only ones they "can share at this time."
While no details about the shop's relocation have been shared yet, staff told blogTO that customers will be informed in "due course."
Fareen Karim
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