Thom Bargen Coffee & Tea at 64 Sherbrook St. held a soft opening for friends, family, and Facebook friends of the shop on Jan. 30.
I was notified by this lovely, informal status: “Thank you all for your patience and support! We are getting close! Tomorrow (Wednesday) from 9-5 we will be having a private soft opening for friends and family. That means you 504 FB friends!”
The industrial mod decor and beautiful wooden furniture greeted me with the same sweetness and exclamation-point-filled friendliness. Its sleek look is exactly the type of inspired, conceptual coffee shop interior we’ve come to expect in our city of recent.
Notably, Jura A1 was one of the dozen patrons milling about when I arrived. He has been known to offer much moral support and guidance to the locally owned coffee shops popping up in the city (i.e.: Cafe Postal, MAKE Coffee & Stuff, etc.).
He even asked us if we’d checked out MAKE and commended its exceptional espresso.
Already a refuge from a windy day, Thom Bargen goes the extra mile with rolled Hudson’s Bay Company stripe blankets found along the benches. This touch of Canadian iconography is just the thing to distinguish the shop from its predecessors, and to invite people to stay long and stay warm.
They even served chocolate croissants and cinnamon buns from Jonnies Sticky Buns, and I’ve never been one to run from a chocolate-filled pastry with my latte in the morning.
The West Broadway addition was already receiving a warm reception from its pedestrian-friendly dwellers, with commendations coming from every sipper.
Perhaps Vik said it best: these shops popping up in various bustling neighbourhoods only increase our options for getting served great coffee.
Thom Bargen’s official opening is Feb. 1. It will be open from then on seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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Brenlee Coates is a style writer for Spectator Tribune.
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