Toronto neighbourhood's go-to cafe closing after over a decade
A Toronto cafe that's been a neighbourhood staple for more than 10 years is closing permanently, sharing a tear-jerking note to say goodbye.
Each neighbourhood in the city has its go-to coffee shop: a place that not only provides hearty pours of java to the area's residents but also helps define it. Perhaps it would be more apt to say that each neighbourhood has a few coffee shops that corner the market, but to each individual, there can only be one that holds the mantle of "go-to."
For many a Geary Avenue frequenter and resident, that role has been filled by Dark Horse Espresso's cafe and bakery on the once-industrial street over the past 12 years.
Though the location was the chain's fifth in the city, it occupied, it seems, a particularly special place in not only the hearts of its customers, but in those of the Dark Horse team, too, as evidenced by a lengthy message posted to the coffee chain's Instagram account on Monday, June 1, announcing that — spoiler alert — the location would be closing for good.
"Blood, sweat, sugar, magic. That's what it takes to open a bakery. 2014 was the year Dark Horse became more than just coffee. We took an old auto body shop on Geary Avenue and turned it into this place where we could create something from flour, sugar, water, and love," the note reads.
The letter goes on to explain that the team decided to open a small coffee shop up at the front of the bakery space as a means of connecting with the community. The task of transforming a bare-bones auto shop into a cafe and bakery was, by their own admission, "hard," but ultimately worth it.
"We built the entire thing with our own hands, and then took on the long process of building a bakery business from scratch, even though we had no real experience in that realm. Like coffee, we dug deep and learned how to make everything from bread and pizza to cookies, muffins, and scones. It was hard, but it was beautiful. Anyone who has made anything with their hands knows this love," the post reads.
The location, which opened in 2014, quickly became a local staple, but, as the chain bakes and brews through its 12th year on Geary, the team confirms it'll be the last, as the location's landlord has chosen not to renew their lease.
"Geary has always been more than just a location to us," the post continues.
"Even as Dark Horse has grown, Geary has always embodied our core values: fostering community, honouring the character and diversity of Toronto's neighbourhoods, and establishing inclusive, welcoming spaces to feel a sense of belonging."
The impending closure of the Geary location is "heartbreaking," they conclude, but not enough to diminish the gratitude the team feels for what they built there, and the community that helped them do it.
Dark Horse Geary is located at 120 Geary Ave.
Hector Vasquez
