Toronto’s wealth of new indie cafés has been a boon to community life, but mostly for neighbourhoods south of Bloor. That’s not the case with Hub, which opened last weekend on a residential stretch of Shaw Street near Dupont. The spot has already gained a following from the residents of Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction who are thankful they no longer have to hop on their bikes to find a quick lunch, a latte or a cool escape from un-air-conditioned townhouses. At midday on a Wednesday, the place is bustling with moms with strollers and dads giving their daughters piggyback rides.
Owners Lisah Smith, Cyrus Lotfi and Steven Ashton—along with the architect-landlord who lives upstairs—transformed a former convenience store into a coffee lounge in just a month. The interior avoids the pitfall of many shabby-chic renos: spending too much money to look rustic. At Hub, it feels organic, almost like it was done out of necessity. The counters were salvaged from a gas station, the curtains are made from drop cloths, and the wall decorations consist of Smith’s 10-year-old collection of Italian wood plates.
Hub contrasts starkly with Smith’s previous place—a café at a ferry terminal on Vancouver Island, where customers grab and go. Here, people get to sit and appreciate her sandwiches and wraps ($7), such as roast beef and chicken with walnut pesto. The sandwich options change every day, but, as she tells a customer unsure of Wednesday’s featured item, “I can make anything back here.”
Behind the scenes, Ashton churns out such baked goods as black-cherry brownies ($3) and cranberry trail mix muffins ($1.50). In fact, with the exception of the bread, delivered daily from St. John’s Bakery, everything is made in house with an extra emphasis on organic ingredients. “Our eggs are farm-fresh and hormone-free, and our bacon doesn’t have any nitrates,” Smith points out while she makes the “breakfast on a bun” sandwich (egg, lettuce, tomato, mayo, bacon and an unexpected squiggle of hoisin, $4). This is not haute cuisine—it’s more like something a creative foodie friend might make on the weekend. Combine the menu with the location and the name, and Hub is the definition of the neighbourhood coffee house.
Hub, 1028 Shaw St. (at Dupont), 647-347-7789, hubcoffeehouse.com.
(Images: Karon Liu)
UPDATED: July 23 at 9:42 a.m.
Sounds like a great spot, and the neighbourhood needs it. But since when is Shaw and Dupont ‘Wallace Emerson?’
July 22, 2010 at 11:59 am | by KatAgreed – I live a block away and have never heard of wallace-emerson. I thought maybe Mr. Wallace-Emerson was the proprietor.
July 22, 2010 at 12:09 pm | by Keith TWay ahead of you two. Not only have I heard of Wallace Emerson, I have taken to calling it Wall-E.
July 22, 2010 at 3:36 pm | by AdamLisah Smith’s Cafe on Vancouver Island was called Lito’s on the ferry line to Salt Spring Island. She did a fabulous job of serving her customers there and will no doubt make a huge success of her new venture in Toronto with Cyrus Lotfi and Stephen Aston. Hold on to your hats folks for some great healthy food and the best coffee ever. Wall-E is the place to visit now.
July 22, 2010 at 7:43 pm | by Julia SkellyActually, the neighborhood is neither Wallace-Emerson (which is blocks away, in Seaton Village) nor Christie Pits – it’s called East Oz.
July 22, 2010 at 8:20 pm | by NathalieI went there the other day and had a wonderful experience. My sandwich was amazing and everyone was very friendly. thank you!
July 22, 2010 at 8:34 pm | by andrew murrayWallace-Emerson?!? I know our neighbourhood has a hard time naming itself but seriously! Just call it Christie Pits or something. Wallace Emerson?!?
July 22, 2010 at 9:11 pm | by Pendrith St.Wonderful cafe, and a great addition to the hood. But it’s Christie Pits. Wallace Emerson is way further west. Get a map.
July 23, 2010 at 8:02 am | by shaw streetI stand corrected. What do I know, I live on Vancouver Island in BC. I do like East-Oz though.
July 23, 2010 at 10:16 am | by Julia SkellyYes, I think of Wallace Emerson was being the Dufferin-Dupont-Landsdowne area. But Wall-E is great!
July 23, 2010 at 10:43 am | by KatI knew Lito’s cafe when Lisa started it. Fresh fruit salad, (No fruit from a bucket!) fresh baked goods,and amazing sandwiches! I’m curious to what kind of coffee they’ve settled on, but I’m sure they laboured over the choice. It will be the “Hub” for sure! Congrats to the owners and neighbours!
July 23, 2010 at 11:48 am | by Maggie O.Great addition to a great and eclectic neighbourhood. Always thought one of those long lost corner store lots would have a solid customer base for a decent cafe. Lived down the street for 10 plus years and never heard of the area being referred to as Wallace Emerson…it’s Christie Pits although East Oz has a good ring to it. You’d think Toronto Life of all publications would know the importance of getting a neighbourhood name right.
July 24, 2010 at 11:17 am | by marcI love the openess and simplicity of the decor. And the food is great too. By the way, on the old city of Toronto maps this area is always referred to as Seaton Village. Christie pits doesn’t have much of a cache and Wallace/Emmerson is actually way west at the intersection of Wallace and Emmerson.
July 25, 2010 at 6:38 pm | by davidWhat is Wallace Emerson? Who is this person?
July 26, 2010 at 12:24 pm | by RyannWallace Emerson? Are you joking Toronto Life? We now you don’t actually know much the city outside of “the hot new neighbourhood to buy your investment property in”, but this is a new low.
Hub cafe is nowhere near that neighbourhood, by anyone’s map. Perhaps you are confusing Shaw with Symington?
July 27, 2010 at 10:58 am | by Jonathan