Toronto coffee shop permanently closing after landlord refuses to renew lease
A neighbourhood coffee shop in Toronto is gearing up to close its doors next year after its landlord decided not to renew its lease.
Coco's Neighbourhood Coffee Shop, a cozy café in Little Italy known for staples like espresso-based drinks, matcha lattes, and apple cider, plus a variety of baked treats, will serve its last customers in January.
In a heartbreaking announcement shared on Instagram, the coffee shop's owner, Nicole, revealed that Coco's landlord declined to renew their lease. Although they were reassured that they were perfect tenants, the landlord has decided to hand over the space to his sister, who will open a homeopathy clinic in place of the cafe.
Unfortunately, the news came after the coffee shop had invested heavily in the space, including adding a new patio. While Nicole shared that the business has been trying to find a new location, working under a limited budget and a short timeline meant that Coco's was ultimately unsuccessful in its search for a new home.
The coffee shop will officially bid farewell to the neighbourhood on Jan. 31. In the meantime, the business will be discontinuing its beloved birthday cakes, but holiday orders will continue to be available (though more limited).
"We deeply appreciate and respect everyone on our staff and value our team immensely. Everyone has poured so much of themselves into creating the magic here. We will be having our usual post-Christmas closure as a paid week off for everyone because we didn’t want anyone having to choose between picking up extra shifts with the end impending and the holiday plans they've already made," Nicole wrote.
"For now, all our gratitude in supporting us all these years to do more than I truly ever thought was possible. We made something really, really special and everyone who's come has helped it take its sweet funny shape. Big hugs. Tip your baristas. It's not over til it's over so we'll see you at the shop."
As expected, the lengthy announcement was met with heartbroken reactions and comments from regular patrons.
"Imagine being the type of people who would force out Coco's…. these landlords make no sense. Rooting for you guys always and will be here for your comeback," one person wrote.
"I am devastated for you guys and the community. We'll be coming by to support you and the team as much as we can, and if you choose to open a new shop at some point in the future we'll be first in line there too," another comment reads.
While their devastating closure is inevitable, you can still enjoy Coco's for 11 more weeks at 668 College St.
Fareen Karim
