Cafes
R Squared Cafe
R Squared Cafe is already bustling in the home of what once was Quaff Cafe on West Queen West. The former cafe was purchased by new owners, totally made over, and rebranded under the name of the two co-owners, Reza and Reza.
Less than a week after its opening, R Squared is filling its tables. Rows of laptops greet me as I walk into the space, as it seems customers are already making good use of the free WiFi. And the extra light is probably helping a fair bit also--that is, the illusion of extra light. Whereas Quaff may have had that dark and cozy cafe feel, R Squared is bright and airy, white with yellow accents and dustings of powder blue on the refinished bar. The general layout is the same, though there seems a fair bit more seating (I could be wrong) and interesting new hanging light fixtures drawing brightness closer to the eye.
"We took over Quaff about five months ago," one of the Rezas (Reza Yazdjerdi) tells me as we take a seat by the back table. "We really liked the location, but we wanted to rebrand everything."
That rebranding goes beyond just the name. The coffee now comes from Social Coffee & Co., which has prepared a custom blend for R Squared to use on its fancy new Nuova Simonelli. Many of the savoury eats are sourced from Café Jules Pâtisserie, as well as sweets from Desmond & Beatrice. Plus lots of sanding, painting, and refinishing.
"When I was a teenager," Reza says, "I just loved bookstores and coffee shops. I wanted to make this place something I would love as a teenager."
Reza's teenage life was spent in Iran, where he lived until moving to Toronto two years ago to be with his wife. A commercial engineer by trade, he and Reza, a civil engineer, had trouble finding work after moving to Canada so they decided to pursue their passion for coffee instead. There are little touches of Iranian culture throughout R Squared, including a collection of fabulous vintage movie posters from 1950s Iran displayed on the wall, as well copies of Persepolis and Iran in my Eyes on the bookshelf.
But like every good cafe, the focus here is on the coffee, which is available as pour over ($3.15) if you've got a second or two to spare. I opt for a straight-up Americano ($2.79), though, and Matt, who placed fifth in the Canadian Regional Barista Championships, prepares me a cup. You can tell when a shot has been expertly pulled, and my Americano certainly has that great taste; zero acidity, and a nice, rich flavour. Change is good, it seems.
R Squared is open during the week 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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The previous name reminded me of a 'bad experience'.
But if the coffee has improved, then great!
"Cafe Queef."
:)
That being said, I swung by R2 today and was really impressed with the setup and their house blend is well balanced and versatile whether as an espresso shot or in a latte. I like the fact that they plan on having regular turn over of different single-origins for their pour-over.
I went to R2 today and while the coffee was decent, it's hardly the best available. My Americano was indeed low in acidity, but this came at the expense of flavour and mouth feel. The crema was far too light and uniform (forget about any tiger striping, it's not even in that class), and the entire cup was rather bland. It's main feature was that it had no features---it wasn't offensive in the least. I give R2 about 3/5.
It's 2011, and consumers have long since started paying for goods electronically. To be competitive in the Toronto coffee shop scene, you have to make it easy for customers to pay you again and again. There shouldn't be a penalty to customers that want to pay for the product in their own way.
Not accepting Visa/Debit, or rather, accepting them with a minimum policy is understandable. The $.50 isn't a 'penalty' as you put it, but a processing fee.
There are associated overheard fees that all retailers must accrue (rent, insurance, hydro, internet, staffing, maintenance and repair, debit/banking fees per transaction [I think it's a percentage]). So, in order to be competitive int the Toronto coffee shop scene, indie shops such as R squared have to offer quality beverages and atmosphere to be competitive in the Toronto coffee shop scene. If their policy is to tack on an additional $.50, it's likely so they can continue to be IN the coffee shop scene in the future.
Even in 2011, one should always carry cash on them for 'just in case' scenarios . . . . and a cup o' coffee.
While I am well known for my "Good morning, my usual - Americano to Go please" - I can easily see myself becoming "Good morning - surprise me again with your daily creation".
The Orange Mocha is definite sign that R-Squared is here to provide us café goers and coffee lovers a sense of adventure that surely would not disappoint.
Way to go R2!
another thing to mention, amazing grilled chicken sandwich!
if you're there for longer hours, getting some work done, do try that sandwich, you wont be disappointed.
friendly staff.
i give 5 out of 5.
Good coffee, friendly staff, nice vibe. Will certainly return.