Pleasing the suburbs and the city are two different things, but Jordan Myall feels he can do both. After establishing Cafellini as the go-to cafe in Saint-Bruno, an affluent suburb of Montrรฉalโs South Shore, Myallย and his mother/business partner,ย Johanne Houle, have decided to take their formula right to the heart of the city.
The second Cafellini was launched early January in a busy part of Beaubien Street, at the crossroads of Rosemont, the Mile End, and La Petite-Italie. Although there are already many quality independent cafes in the area, Myallย and Houleย are confident that their “customers first” approach will please the neighborhood coffee crowd.
โI find it sad when I go into a cafe and see all those people behind their laptop screens,โ saysย Houle. โThey all take a peek to see who just came in and quickly go back to their own worldโฆ There is no Wi-Fi in our new cafe, as we want it to be a place where people meet, talk, socialize. And it starts with our own staff!โ
Myall, a well-known figure in the Montrรฉal coffee scene, seems to know everybody who walks in and if he doesnโt, it wonโt be long before he becomes a friend. โItโs been our trademark since we opened our first cafe nine years ago,” explains Myall. “We are close to our customersโthere are even some drinks named for longtime clientsโand I think itโs a big factor in our success. Thatโs what we will try to reproduce here.โ
Looking to expand the Cafellini brand, Houleย and Myall hadย been thinking of a Montrรฉal cafe for a long time when an opportunity presented itself. โWe worked on another localeโa bit east on Beaubien Streetโfor a few months, but we werenโt fully confident that it would work out. At the end of our three month lease, we walked out,” reminds Houle. “We had also been talking with the owner of Cafรฉ Volane, but werenโt sure we wanted to buy an existing business. When the other project ended, we made up our minds and quickly sealed the deal.โ
Transforming the artsy little cafe proved a bit more complicated than the new owner expected, as Myallย explains: โI was targeting a mid-December opening, but my mother was laughing at me! There are so many things to think of!โ
For years now, Myall and hisย motherย have worked as a tight-knit duo: Houleย taking care of the business side, while Myall brings his knowledge and passion of coffee. โI wouldnโt be able to stand behind the espresso machine,” admits Houle, “but there is a lot to do outside of coffee. And my son is kind of an artist, who often needs someone to bring him back to reality!โ
So, it took a few extra weeks of work to get the locale ready for opening. Those who knew Cafรฉ Volane will be surprised by the brightness of Cafellini. The red faรงade has been painted in white, like the interior walls. There are only three large wooden tables, some shelves on the wall to store the coffee beans, a counter at the back where aย bright yellow Nuova Simonelli espresso machine gets all the attention.
Myallย and his staff work with their own coffee beans, roasted to their specifications by Barista, a Montreal-based artisan roaster whichย works in anย Italian tradition, but with modern standards. โWe started our collaboration more than eight years ago,โ recalls Houle, as Baristaโs co-owner Enrico Serena walks into the cafe. โThey helped us a lot and weโre happy to see that they are still here to continue with us in thisย new project.โ
There is a light lunch menu and the owners have kept some of their South Shore caterers, along with new providersย from the neighborhood.
Myallย plans to spend most of the coming weeks at the new Cafellini in order to get the cafe going and to train his team. โBut Iโll be back in St-Bruno, at least some days each week, to see my friends and meet our loyal customers,” he reassures me.
“Our business is growing, but we shouldnโt forget our roots.โ
Michel Marois (@MMcafeLP) is a sportswriter forย La Presse, and a Sprudge.com contributor based in Montreal. Read moreย Michel Marois on Sprudge.ย
With additional photography by Fred Tougas.