Cafes
Rustic Owl
Rustic Owl is a 2,000-square-foot gallery and cafe new to Bloor and Dovercourt.
While many indie cafes of late like to throw a few paintings on the wall and call themselves a "showroom," Rustic Owl has a bona fide gallery space, which is separated from the rest of the cafe by a pulled black curtain.
The space was an NDP campaign office before Stacey Collrin got her hands on it. She then gutted the interior, ripped out the carpets, and designed and constructed her own bar and tables.
I meet Stacey as she's single-handedly preparing about 10 coffee and lunch orders, and am immediately struck with an overwhelming sense of inferiority. While I was at home playing Mario Kart on N64 in unwashed pajamas, 25-year-old Stacey was independently preparing for the launch of her own business after eight years of event planning. And building her own bar, at that!
"Right now," it's just me," Stacey says as she prepares a latte ($3.10/$3.60) and Americano ($2.30/$3.10) for a couple of women sitting by the window. "I have an assistant come in and help me sometimes, but for now, I'm here 11 hours a day."
It's clear that Stacey eventually will need some help as the door keep opening and orders continue to flow in. For now, the cafe offers an assortment of baked goods from Desmond & Beatrice, fresh sandwiches including cured salami ($6.75) and BLT on a bagel ($4.75) prepared to order by Stacey, and a variety of coffee and tea drinks including Rustic Owl's signature pumpkin latte made with pumpkin puree.
I give Stacey a chance to catch up on orders while I go explore by the back gallery space. With a lone bench centred in the middle, the walls carry a variety of sketches and paintings by many artists who are part of SASS (Spontaneous Art Show Surprise), though Stacey says she's always looking for more, as long as she has the wall space. The room will also be used for events, including movie nights and video premieres planned for the near future, as well as a scheduled coming book convention.
The coffee is an organic and fair trade Mountain View blend, and I ask Stacey to prepare me an Americano. Here, the water is added to the espresso (for the sticklers who need to know) and soy milk or almond milk can be substituted for any drink for an additional $0.50 or $0.75 respectively. My drink has a pleasant medium intensity and fruity undertone — good for kicking back and enjoying a book (Rustic Owl's raison d'être) rather than a morning jolt. Free WiFi should be coming to the cafe soon, and though there's no liquor license (yet), though Stacey says it's on her mind.
Rustic Owl is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Photos by Erin Jones
Discussion
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It definitely has some kinks to work out and she definitely will need help considering how quickly it is becoming popular.
I can't wait until it has Wi-Fi and then I will live there! Looks like a great venue to rent out for events too if that is at all possible, maybe once it gets a liquor license.
Hey buddy. Just wanted to say, I met Stacey back when she was 18. It was actually at an event she had put together. It was incredibly well put together and deffinatally not her first.
I totally can't wait to see this cafe become a staple in the area.
Tieg Grayson
-Tulsa Oklahoma
Stacey started creating and putting on events since she lived in Brampton and Mississauga and that's going back to 2002/2003.
Cheers, Ryan
Blogs are a great way for people to paint a controlled picture of themselves. They're also a great place for people of little account to say mean things about others and feel like they've carved out some justice for themselves. He's some truth for you; ask Stacey where she was in September and how she screwed over some people who trusted her. Ask her about the few events she really did host and how many people were left without money that was promised to them...
Good luck with Rustic Owl Stace! Try being honest this time.
I live in Leslieville and my kids' dance class is beside a cafe that used to be operated by Stacey and her sister. She was there for a while I thought and then one day I came in and everything had changed...
Rustic Owl seems nice... exact same coffee and baked goods from her other cafe.
I'm not surprised that she seems overwhelmed though. She seemed that way at the Leslieville location too. Hope it isn't true that she skipped out on the rent at the last place... what goes around comes around. Good luck to her...
r at Rustic Owl but I do know the operator of Plan B who had the tee shirt business and the flower shop at Plan B cafe. A month or so before Stacey took over Plan B, our staff who worked in the building with Plan B stopped going there. I won't get into the details about our company's falling out with the owner, but it had to do with a tee shirt deal and not with the cafe. We went to the Starbucks instead and thought maybe we should start to go back to Plan B after Stacey took over but we agreed that we won't as they were still around at the cafe because of the flower shop inside and we didn't want to have anything to do with the owner. This guy told me he actually crazy glued the door shut on a business that was late with his girlfriend's paycheck. Although I never met Stacey and can't vouch for how she ran Plan B or the Rustic Owl I can say that the Owner of Plan B is a bold faced liar and a rip off and our company won't do any business with him or his girlfriend. If Stacey didn't pay up her rent, then good, he deserved it but I would say most likely he ripped her off.
Both you and I know that I have a copy of the mutual lease termination agreement signed by both parties. I was at the Leslieville cafe Plan B for only a month to come to the sad realization I was scammed, and this 'lease' was fake. A 3rd party cannot act as a landlord and rent a space for more than twice they are paying the real landlord. I was the 3rd investor at this space to fall for it!
It's petty you've decided to bring such personal matters on the internet, to the public. But I wont shy away from the truth when I say I was victim of freud. I wont waste my time with your constant harassment.
would like to visit but no clue about your gf items. Please help
We have gluten free macroon treats, as well as chili made daily
Thanks for inquiring!
Espresso was good, service was great, both people behind the bar were super friendly.
Art hung on the walls is really interesting
I always leave more than pleased, and happily served.
Crappy products? What?
I live in the area and like to drop in once in a while for a latte, or americano. I've never been disappointed and always arrive to a pleasant barrista who acknowledges me promptly, even when they're busy.
Paul, if you're going to write negative reviews, please give more details so that people can know why they should or shouldn't go here. Or else it just seems like you have a personal vendetta
So glad to have the cafe in our area