Ethiopia is theย worldโs fifth largest coffee producer, so itโs no surprise that manyย origin stories of coffee center around the country. Nearly 50,000 folks of Ethiopian descentย have taken up residence in the Toronto area, according to the Greater Toronto Areaโs Ethiopian Association. With those numbers, itโs no wonder that cafes such asย Buโna: The Soul of Coffee have opened their doors. Committed entirely to traditional Ethiopian coffee and the roasting ceremonies that go along with it, Buโna offersย a hands-on look at the countryโsย coffee culture.
Locatedย on a busy stretch of Queen Street West, the cafe was opened by Nunu and her husband Chris Rampen after the space next to their restaurant, Nunu Ethiopian Fusion, became available. โWe were hoping for a synergy between the two for sure,โ Rampen says, though he admitsย that they didnโt have much of a plan inย the beginning. When they openedย Buโna, they decided to offer an extension of theย popular coffee program offered at Nunu and expand on it.
Like other third wave coffeeย shops, the space itself is open and airy with beautiful tile work, wood finishings, and bench seating. As you step into the cafe, youโre immediately hit with the smell of freshly roasted beans, which is something they take very seriously. Each day, the baristas hand-roast batches of freshly imported Ethiopian beans every hour to ensure patrons are receiving the bestย taste possible. For folks who are looking for a quick espresso shot, the bar stocks a Mahlkรถnig EK43 grinder, aย Faema E91 espresso machine, and aย Versalab Pneumatic espresso press. But theย cafeย is loyal toย Ethiopian coffee culture and all its traditions: Many customersย have come in for a simple jebena or the full-blown roasting ceremony. โFriends have told them about jebena coffee soย they come in and we serve them a jebena as ifย itโs an espresso,โ says Rampen.
The biggest thing that Nunu and Rampen have been working on is having their customers stop to take time and enjoy the full-blown roasting ceremony. Rampen explains that many customers donโt understand that the process can take just under 20ย minutes from start to finish but is a whole experienceย in and of itself. โWe donโt do it for the spectacle. We do it for the sensual aspect of it, which creates a superior coffee experience that everyone should have in their lives,โ he says.
As the popularity of the shop grows, the couple has beenย looking toย the future. Currently, the shop offers a coffee sommelier course and a coffee roasting course, aimed at folks who have a keen interest in orย are involved in specialty coffee and want to learn more about how to handle Ethiopian coffees. By offering these courses, they hope to give experiences to a new generation of folks who might not have the chance otherwise to obtain this knowledge.
The cafe also sellsย specific products such as jebena sets imported from Ethiopia, green beans (which you can roast in-house with one of their classes), and pantry products made by Nunu herself. The couple has also beenย exploring becoming a wholesale distributor for the cooperative theyโveย been working with in Ethiopia. But as Rampen explains, the business model is still to be developed for that. Until then, Buโna ensures Toronto has the experience, tradition, and history of Ethiopian coffee culture.
Amanda Scriverย (@amascriver) is a freelance journalist based in Toronto. Read more Amanda Scriver on Sprudge.
Photos by Britney Townsend