arvo coffee distillery district toronto canada phil and sebastian roasters transcend australian style cafe sprudge

A new study conducted by BBC Radio declared Toronto to be one of the worldโ€™s most multicultural cities. In wandering the streets, youโ€™ll find everything from French bistros to Irish pubs to Japanese izakayas to Portuguese bakeries. But right now, Toronto is having a moment with the Australian-style, service-focused cafe. Case in point, Baddies which opened in August, and now Arvo Coffee, which also opened in August, andย has found its home in Torontoโ€™s Distillery District.

While the two cafes differ somewhat in approach (you’ll find no avocado toast here), Arvo owner Justin Carriere, a Toronto coffee veteran (formerly ofย M Square Coffee Companyย andย Lit Espresso Bar) holdsย Australiaโ€™s penchant for coffee and itsย cafe philosophies near and dear to him after living there during university. โ€œAustralia is not only a beautiful place but it’s a country that is always innovating and creating new brewing methods,” he says. “I’ve tried to capture that heartbeat and incorporate a few new elements in my approach to service.โ€

arvo coffee distillery district toronto canada phil and sebastian roasters transcend australian style cafe sprudge
Justin Carriere, left, and Edward Kuo, right.

Alongside his business partner, Edward Kuo, Carriereย created Arvo Coffeeโ€”a cafe space that is built on good coffee and community. They have incorporated small touches of the Australian ethos to the cafe setting, like incorporatingย  a shop sellingย fresh flowers and floral arrangements on-site. The cafeย also features a nod to its inspiration country with a large map hung above the milk and sugar station.

Behind the bar, Arvo is one of the first Toronto cafes toย feature the Yama Silverton pour-over system on itsย bar. Carriere explains, โ€œFor a long time, North-American-style cafes have been very drip coffee focused. Most cafes in Australia only serve espresso-based drinks or have a pour-over bar.โ€ For Carriere, the pour-over bar at Arvo allows him and the other baristas to get up close and personal with their customers and provide a simple moment of education and understanding for those who want to know more about the coffee they are indulging in that day. This kind of attentionย is something he remembers well from his time in Australia and remembers it being a magical moment.

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arvo coffee distillery district toronto canada phil and sebastian roasters transcend australian style cafe sprudge

arvo coffee distillery district toronto canada phil and sebastian roasters transcend australian style cafe sprudge

The cafe itselfย has plentyย of old-school charm with lots of thought put into the details. The 700-square-foot space features 200-year-old exposed brick, a 1920s-era marble countertop refurbished from the King Edward Hotel, a tin backsplash repurposed from a mid-century home inย Torontoโ€™s High Park neighborhood, and a hidden nook. The build-out, done by Carriere and Kuo, took five weeks but resulted in a space withย a lot of character and soul.

arvo coffee distillery district toronto canada phil and sebastian roasters transcend australian style cafe sprudge

Behind the bar, two La Marzocco GS3 espresso machines are used for espresso, allowing the team flexibility to move these smaller machines around forย mobile events and patio service on weekends. Also behind the bar sit two Nuova Simonelli Mythos One Clima-Pro grinders for espresso, and aย Mahlkรถnig EK43 for drip and pour-over options. For batch dripย coffee, they have a FETCO CBS-2131XTS brewer and for their nitro cold brew, a three-faucet Kegerator. Operating as a multi-roaster cafe, their primary roaster is Calgary’sย Phil & Sebastianย Coffee Roastersย for both espresso and filter roasts, with Transcend Coffeeย from Edmonton as their secondary roaster. All of their beverages and foods are then plated on ceramics by local artist Patrick Yeung. Ever-changing feature drinks include a recent nitro cold brew float with organic vanilla beanย ice cream, and a sticky chai from Australia with the profile of raw honey.

arvo coffee distillery district toronto canada phil and sebastian roasters transcend australian style cafe sprudge

While Arvo Coffee is still in its infancy, Carriereย has high hopes for the cafe, hoping to create a space in the Distillery District where customers (new and old) can come together in an approachable new setting for good coffee and good vibes.

Arvo Coffee is located at 17 Gristmill Lane, Toronto. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Amanda Scriverย (@amascriver) is a freelance journalist based in Toronto. Read moreย Amanda Scriver on Sprudge.

Photos courtesy of Britney Townsend.

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