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James, Taylor sniff out the goodness (Image: BNN)
We knew the country’s post-Olympic patriotism would settle down, but not like this. The Business News Network spent nearly 20 minutes analyzing every last drop of the McDonald’s–Tim Hortons coffee war, and, long story short, they believe McDonald’s coffee tastes better than Timmies’.
Laptop, latte, lovely (Image: Matthew Hague)
For the entry price of a latte, many freelancers are finding sanctuary at coffee shops, where they can plug in, boot up and work uninterrupted. But as Leah McLaren tells us, not all cafés are equally accommodating. Sam James and Manic refuse to offer Wi-Fi, and Zoots tapes over outlets to stop customers from plugging in. For a freelancer, finding a welcoming café can be as important as finding that next contract. We’ve scoured the city for bright, spacious, laptop-friendly spots where great food, strong coffee and plentiful outlets make for a freelancer’s (temporary) paradise. Here, our eight picks.
Three-time loser (Image: Shayne Kaye)
It’s that time of year again, when coffee aficionados ditch their independent coffee shops, and the streets are strewn with Tim Hortons cups. Yes, it’s time for Roll Up the Rim to Win. This year, however, McDonald’s isn’t sitting idly by as the country gets ready to roll. The Star reports that the fast food giant is handing out free coffee for two weeks. A spokesperson for McDonald’s says the promotion has nothing to do with Roll Up the Rim, but rather that it’s due to the increased exposure of the fast food chain during the Olympics, when commercial breaks offered nothing but McDonald’s, Visa and Government of Canada ads.
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Even dogs love Timmies (Photo by Michael Gil)
Unseasonably warm winter weather has been a boon to Tim Hortons this year, driving up the national coffee icon’s fourth-quarter profit by 32 per cent. In addition, new promotions (as if rollin’ up the rim weren’t a stand-alone winner) have offset the effect of price increases in Quebec, Manitoba, the Atlantic provinces and B.C. introduced earlier this year. Prices in Ontario had already been raised by roughly four per cent in August.
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A TTC bus driver—allegedly caught taking a seven-minute, mid-route coffee break—may believe that his union membership exempts him from punctuality, but it couldn’t protect him from the wonders of YouTube. The driver has been suspended, and his actions are under investigation after this video surfaced Wednesday morning showing a cavalier TTC employee walking off his bus at 3 a.m., leaving the doors open, and entering a Country Style doughnut shop. He proceeds to use the washroom and purchase a beverage while passengers wait helplessly on board.
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Laptop, tea and cake at a café (not pictured: jerk) (Photo by Nicki Dugan)
When not referring to Black Hoof co-owner Grant van Gameren as “Greg,” the Globe and Mail has been sticking it to “freelance hipsters.” On Friday, columnist Leah McLaren lamented the loss of café culture due to “MacBook-toting jerks” who take up tables and siphon away the free Internet at coffee shops. The phenomenon has been unfolding for years, but Wi-Fi has only recently been considered a make-or-break element of a coffee shop, much to the dismay of café owners who see their hangout turn into a study hall. “As more people plugged in, the energy of the café began to sink,” says Melanie Janisse of Zoots. “People would turn up, buy a $2 tea, hunker down and sit there for five or six hours not buying anything or talking to anyone. It really started to bug me.” That said, what are the odds this is being read on a laptop in Dark Horse on Spadina right now?
The Junction’s Crema Coffee Company, one of Toronto’s best places to go for espresso, has long had one drawback: it’s off the beaten track, making it more of a local hangout than a daily grind. Well, that’s all about to change. In March, the much-lauded java dealer will be opening a second location that will share space with Freshii, a salad and wrap lunch spot, at 53 Bloor Street East. “We share a common clientele, we have non-competing products, and it’s a small footprint in a high-traffic area,” says owner Geoff Polci, who also hinted that a third location might be in the offing. For now, though, he is focused on getting the Bloor East order-and-go location open by early March. “It’s a black hole,” he said of his bustling new ’hood, “completely devoid of decent coffee.” For now, that is.
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