Tiny woman-run cafe on a side street in Toronto has closed its doors
A hidden gem of a cafe that was tucked away on a tiny side street and run by one passionate woman has announced they've permanently closed.
Hounslow's House was owned by Dia Ursomarzo, who was so personally connected to the space that she kept a pole from her dad's barber shop in the space (which itself used to be home to a barber). She was often the centre of lively community conversation in the tight 13-seat space, which sold baked goods and sandwiches alongside espresso.
"The time has come and we've made the very difficult decision to close our beloved Hounslow's House. There are no words to explain the pain and grief that we feel right now, we sincerely tried to save our shop but ultimately we were left with no other choice," reads the caption to a post made to Hounslow's Instagram page.
"To help support our wonderful community, we are maintaining our on-line store. We will continue to sell our coffee, hot chocolate and cookie dough for delivery."
The cafe was part of an effort by other small businesses across Toronto to draw attention to the issue of CEBA not being enough to save them. In the case of Hounslow's House, their warnings have tragically become reality.
Though the physical shop will be no more, as the Instagram post mentions they still sell coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cookie dough and more through an online store.
Hector Vasquez
