The albino squirrels of Trinity Bellwoods Park are well known and loved by locals. So much so that the furry little genetic anomalies have become the unofficial mascot of the park—this according to David Ginsberg, formerly of Aunties and Uncles and now co-owner of the White Squirrel Coffee Shop at the park’s Queen Street fringe. After 10 years with Aunties and Uncles, and with two little kids, Ginsberg was looking for something new, with better hours. It was a toss-up between a great Jewish deli and a simple coffee shop done well. Inspired by The Common in the west end, he went for the coffee shop (plus, Caplansky’s beat him to the meat slicer).

Together with A&U alumnus David Eaglesham, Ginsberg is making a point of keeping White Squirrel Coffee Shop eco-friendly, right down to the milk, the sugar, the dishwasher detergent, and the soon-to-be-active Bullfrog power supply. Plus, of course, their custom blend of fair-trade, organic coffee.

Thanks to Ginsberg’s wife, who thought the neighbourhood needed a place you could grab a cone, the second focus of White Squirrel is on ice cream—Greg’s Ice Cream, to be precise, which will include the café’s custom flavour when the warm weather arrives. Other hand-held munchies are also on offer: muffins ($1.50), brownies ($2), cookies ($1), and such daily breakfast items as empanadas and strata ($3.75). As for hot drinks, the White Squirrel is one of few places in Toronto that serves a “flat white” ($2.75) prominently on its menu (a short Aussie-style latte). Tea isn’t overlooked as an option, either; the café is getting its supply from the swank Tea Emporium.

White Squirrel fits beautifully into the West Queen West neighbourhood, just as it uplifts and caffeinates it. A bright split-level design encourages solitary coffee sippers to sit and stay at bar stools that look down over the espresso counter and out to the street. A larger communal table is an ideal spot at which to spread out a paper under a wall-sized Toronto Archives city map. Both seating options feature tabletops of cleverly reclaimed parquet flooring produced using material salvaged by lauded vintage shop Smash.

When asked if he had any concerns about opening a new place “at this time,” Ginsberg questioned if that was a reference to the economy or the season. Winter had him wondering about foot traffic, but economics? “Coffee oughta be recession proof.”

White Squirrel Coffee Shop, 907 Queen St. W., 647-428-4478, www.whitesquirrelcoffee.com.