Need a caffeine fix on your travels? Look no further
By Shelley Cameron-McCarron
1. For a cool pairing of a coffee shop and brewery in a converted church, make your way to Buddha Bear Coffee Roaster & Holy Whale Brewing Co., in Alma, NB, a beer/espresso café located at the base of Fundy National Park. They have a coffee roaster as well as a brewery on-site in the former St. Stephen United Church. “We tried our best to re-incorporate every piece of the church that we removed during the transformation of the church-to-café process,” says Jeff Grandy. He says they’ve had three former ministers of St. Stephen United visit and all appeared to approve of the “conversion.” Want a unique offering? Try the Fundy Trail Finish—though you may have to work for it. “If you stop by our café directly after the completion of the ‘Fundy Footpath’—a 61 km slobberknocker of-a-trail—we’ll give you a complimentary beer, espresso shot, pickled egg and a bar of soap, because you will definitely stink.” Grandy says they’ve put a lot of thought and effort into their coffee and take pride in the roasting process followed by their baristas. They also recently took their first coffee purchasing trip to Costa Rica during the harvest season to obtain a contract with a quality farm/processing company. “And we’ll continue to visit other coffee regions in the future.”
2. Tucked in an alley in Uptown Saint John, in the historic Bustins Building, which dates to 1881, Rogue Coffee Company is an independent “third wave coffee” shop owned by locals Vanessa and Mike Duncan. They transformed a workshop from a 100-year old furniture store into a modern industrial space, cleverly filling the small space with a hexagon bar, upper and lower seating area, and a garage door that extends the shop outside into an alleyway. The Duncans say the string-lit alley has seating, artwork, flower boxes, and hosts pop-up markets and live music. While in Rogue, do look up. The ceiling beams are charred from a fire. Just how long ago is up for debate, say the Duncans. Some say a fire in the 1950s. Another theory is the “Great La-Z-Boy” fire of 1973. Either way it creates a unique look. Fan faves? That’d be the oat milk lattes, house-made nitro infused cold brew served on tap, and prosecco, also served on tap. Pro tip: Each Saturday a cake is prepared by local restaurant East Coast Bistro and served at Rogue. “Be early or miss out,” advise the Duncans, who attract a diverse clientele from business suits to work boots.
3. The Battery Café, a locally owned café in downtown St. John’s, NL, enjoys an enviable location at the foot of Signal Hill, one of the city’s icons. Expect to find Detour coffee, tea, baked goods, sandwiches, soup and salads. Know too they’ve just expanded their space, they offer live music on Saturday nights, and have a walk-up window for hikers (hello Northhead Trail!) “We are in an historic building situated at the entrance to the Battery neighborhood in East St. John’s, at the foot of Signal Hill, with a beautiful view over St. John’s Harbour,” says Robert Salsman. “We serve great coffee and food, but what people most like us for is our customer service. Our café was a corner store for 120 years before being fully renovated into a warm, woody, welcoming space. Coffee lovers love our Detour coffee. Hikers and dog walkers love our walk-up window. Neighbors love our soup in the winter, and tourists love our local ambience and charm. They love the ambience, the view over the harbour, our coffee, our baked goods and our customer service,” he says. “(Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau chose us as his spot to visit when he was in St. John’s in summer 2019, and several Newfoundland celebrities are regulars. We serve neighbors, hikers, dog walkers, coffee lovers and tourists. The Battery Café is a great spot to sit with a friend and enjoy a great cup of coffee and a scone!”
4. For a chill spot, with a unique and cozy minimalism vibe, stop into the Black & White Cafe and Bakery in St. Peters, PEI. “We focus on local ingredients, simple, but tasty food, and offer specialty coffees and teas made with love,” says the café’s Jessica Fritz. With offerings inspired by island living and the owners’ European (German) background, she says they want people to come to stay. They offer a small, free (donation based) library, board games to play, a toy and sand box, and free Wi-Fi. She says when outfitting the cabin, the coffee shop is in, they worked with the solid wood panelling and floor and complemented it with black and white accents. All furniture is upcycled, bought second-hand or handcrafted to fit the cafe. Unique art and decoration add interest. Located on the Confederation Trail, close to Greenwich National Park, and on the drive from Charlottetown to Souris (where the ferry to the Îles de la Madeleine docks), the café attracts tourists, happy to find a high-quality spot in such a rural setting, as well as locals. “A coffee shop is your temporary home away from home. It doesn’t matter if you just come for a hot beverage or an easy bite to eat. It’s often enough a place to hang out, work, read or be social. It’s where you meet people and have earnest conversations or simply some board game fun. It’s where you take a break, recharge, refuel. And hope to feel at home.”
5. For caffeine and kindness seven days a week, try Dilly Dally Café in Halifax, NS. “We are a friendly, local neighborhood café, and creating a small-town feel, where our guests feel part of our community, is paramount to our entire team,” says Laura Draege on the full-service café that offers locally roasted Java Blend coffee, and meals and goods baked daily on-site. Not to miss? Their house-made syrups make for fabulous sweet lattes (try the carrot spice latte or their ginger molasses latte) while the kitchen creates breakfast, brunch, lunch and even occasional dinners. Their avocado toast and smoked salmon scramble is a crowd favorite. In warmer months, the licensed patio is popular for a meal or enjoying a craft beer or local wine. From opening day, they’ve made space for local makers within their walls. They’ve created a small retail offering in the café that features only local makers such as Foxhound Collection, Circle & Wick Candle Co., Helen Painter Art, Saucy Face Studios, and Bad Mouth Soap. “This goes back to our core focus on creating that small-town community feel at Dilly Dally,” Ms. Draege says. “My favorite compliment is when our guests tell me how kind and friendly our team is!”
6. A coffee shop that’s like a history book come to life? That’s Samuel’s Coffee Shop in Summerside, PEI, in the former Journal-Pioneer building. Samuel’s, named after surveyor general Samuel Holland, is steeped in history and owner Moyna Matheson (a sixth-generation descendant of Samuel Holland) says “local or visitor, we want the sense of place, culture and history to be a part of that experience.” Samuel’s is known for its coffee and espresso and must-have goodies like raspberry cream cheese pie, date squares, map maker sandwiches, and come October, homemade pumpkin spice latte. All the food is made from scratch, in-house. The landmark building dates to the late 1800s and has exposed brick on the interior and houses a bank vault where guests can have lunch, sip coffee, and of course, spill secrets. Walls are adorned with Samuel Holland maps and memorabilia from Summerside’s earlier days, and they partner with local suppliers and artisans to showcase PEI’s offerings. “What is unique about Samuel’s is that it appeals to all generations and all people. We have young parents in the afternoon and weekends and a work crowd at lunch. Teens will enjoy a late day visit after school. Several self-employed budding entrepreneurs use Samuel’s as a creative workspace and a growing retired crowd brings things alive with their morning meetups. I think that is why people feel comfortable, from young kids to business suits to those looking to read the paper, there is a place for them at Samuel’s,” she says. “Quite simply, they like the way Samuel’s makes them feel, beyond their taste buds...The vibe they get when they walk through the doors, the sense of community and the impression of the sense of history that surrounds them.”
7. Honeybeans Coffee, Tea & Treats, in St. Andrews, NB, is a huge favourite among locals, and right on the main drag on Water St. The cozy cafe specializes in organic and direct trade coffee, lattes, as well as teas, hot chocolates, baked fresh in-house goods and grab-and-go options including gluten free treats. “I believe people love Honeybeans because they know when they walk in the doors they will be greeted like a friend and will leave with the best coffee, tea or treat we can offer. They come for the coffee and stay for the friendship of a community hub,” says co-owner Lauren Naish, who took over the well-loved business in 2018 after managing the shop for many years. “Honeybeans has always been known for its cozy ambiance and will be entering a new era moving down the street to a larger space at 180 Water Street this spring. We will be expanding our seating and ability to serve up new and exciting food and drinks, but we will not be losing our warm atmosphere. We want all of our customers to feel at home in the new space,” says Ms. Naish. Their signature lattes are fan favourites, but none more so than the Salty Maritimer Latte (a combination of white chocolate, maple and salted caramel), developed by a fan during last year’s latte idol contest. Honeybeans also rocks their scones. “Honeybeans is a great place to start your visit in Saint Andrews: a delicious treat, coffee and a smiling face to send you out to explore our beautiful town.”
Intro Credit: Rogue Coffee Company, Saint John, NB
