A coffee shop is a space for the local community to gather, and during our current unique times, we can all feel the substantial void we have been left with as these spaces have been forced to close.

The good news is that the world is gradually resuming its pace, and coffee shops are once again (cautiously) re-opening its doors. It was back in March when a friend recommended Milky’s to me when I was on a business trip to Toronto.

It was a quiet workday afternoon so it wasn’t too busy. From the interactions between the baristas and the guests, there were more than a handful of frequent visitors who popped by, chatting and catching up with the baristas as the drinks were being prepared. The casual, welcoming vibe is what makes a coffee shop a mainstay in a neighbourhood, and Milky’s definitely falls into this category with its friendly staff.

As I ordered my matcha latte with soy, a frequent customer behind me asked the barista “oh, I haven’t tried that before, can I get one of those?” I appreciate the friendly, candid interactions that happen in coffee shops, and it is just one of the many ways these social spaces contribute to building relationships within a community.

Milky's Coffee Toronto Cafe by Florence Leung

I settled into a nook by the window gazing at passerby going about their day and turned my attention to study the space. The entire interior space is covered floor-to-ceiling in a mesmerizing geometric pattern built using wood flooring. The striking design intrigued me to turn my casual visit into a work one, and led me to ask the barista to put me in touch with Fraser Greenberg, Owner of Milky’s, to find out the story and inspiration behind the business.

*The geometric wall design takes center stage in the interiors*

P: Pendulum Magazine

F: Fraser Greenberg, Owner, Milky’s Coffee

P: Tell us about the overall concept of Milky’s Coffee. What sets you apart from other independent coffee shops in Toronto?

F: Conceptually, Milky’s was designed with a simple goal: to make people happy. I wanted the space to have everything that would put you in a good mood: bright lights for dark mornings, lively colours and patterns, and of course: delicious and potent coffee.

Milky's drink offering is more than just coffee. Aside from the classics, every season we put together a menu of unique Milky’s drink creations. We spend a lot of time sourcing local, seasonal ingredients and developing them into interesting and new flavours.

*Perfect spot to enjoy the afternoon sunshine. Photo courtesy of Milky’s Coffee*

P: What’s your background? What were the driving factors that made you decide to start this coffee venture? What were some of the most challenging aspects you encountered in the initial stage of setting up the business?

F: In addition to Milky’s I run a flooring business called Relative Space. While a very different type of business, it shares many of the same values: integrity of product and service, and having a strong focus on environmental and social responsibility.

As an outsider to the coffee world, the hardest part of setting up was reconciling my dreams of what a coffee shop can be with the reality of what a coffee shop is. I had many dreams that were so far out of the playbook that it became hard to collaborate with people who’s experience had formed strong ideas of what’s right. Thankfully, Gareth Hoom, Milky’s operations manager, and I managed to meet at just the right moment. We shared many of the same ideas and he had the experience to make them real.

*The perfect nook to spend a productive afternoon*

P: We really love the visually striking interior of Milky’s Coffee. Can you share the overall design concept and highlights of the space?

F: With my experience at Relative Space I was inspired to create something that really showcases what wood flooring is capable of. It’s so often considered in such a narrow way - as just a colour, or species - but the possibilities are much more than that.

Everything in the space lines up perfectly - some customers have called it “the cure for OCD.” The pattern crosses the floor, walls and ceilings and is perfectly matched. All surfaces are at the same 42” height.

The space was also intended to be a mood booster. My girlfriend operates a lighting design studio, Anony, and she helped teach me about circadian rhythm lighting that mimics the light from the sun, which became the main source of lighting in the space. She also customized two of her Highwire lights to hang in the window.

*A delicious matcha latte with soy and mini cookie*

P: Where do you source your coffee beans from?

F: Our current blend is a mix of two beans from the same farm in Honduras. It’s rare to have the opportunity to try two varietals of coffee grown under the same conditions - rarer still to be able to combine them into a blend that has so many natural overlapping flavour qualities.

P: Can you briefly talk about a few of the most popular specialty drinks you currently offer?

F: Last winter we introduced one of our most popular drinks, The Cha Cha Cha - the name a playful way of describing its two main ingredients: matcha and Spanish horchata.

This summer we’re introducing the Cascara Fizz. Cascara is the (usually) discarded fruit of the coffee tree that protects the bean. To create the fizz we infused honey with camomile, then combined it with steeped cascara. The end result is something similar to honey lemon tea, but with an unexpected complexity that makes it addictive.

*Thoughtful decorative items and homeware for sale in store handpicked by the Milky’s team*

We would definitely agree with Fraser that the space is an instant mood booster with its captivating interior design. Though his background isn’t in the coffee industry, it is because of this that Fraser and Gareth’s working relationship sparked new magic for the neighbourhood. It’s usually a business that breaks all the rules in the industry that succeeds because its reason for being goes beyond just making money. In Fraser’s case, it’s to make people happy, and this simple goal has clearly garnered many fans for the cozy coffee shop already.

We can’t wait to return for a second visit!