By: Andrew Mrozowski
Tucked away on Barton Street East are a ton of local Hamilton shops with a lot to offer. On Barton Street East and Emerald Street North, a coffee shop is quickly approaching its one-year anniversary. Aptly named Emerald Coffee Co, the space creates a larger than life quality that has been ten years in the making.
Owner Phil Green grew up in Montreal. For the past ten years, Green worked in the automotive industry and lived in the United States, but he yearned for change. Leaving his job with thoughts of opening a coffee shop at the back of his head, Green made the choice to move back to Canada and live in Hamilton.
“I was walking my dog and saw that this place had a lot of potential. The neighbourhood was filled with young families, but they had to walk 15 minutes to get a coffee…A coffees hop is the hub of a neighbourhood and I wanted to create that hub here,” said Green.
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In the summer of 2017, Green embarked out into Hamilton to try and find a place. Setting up home base on Barton Street East, the owner knew that he was taking a chance with this spot.
“I took a risk and opened in a location where most people wouldn’t have but once the idea was in my head, I wanted Barton Street. We wouldn’t have been the same if we opened somewhere else,” said Green.
The doors to Emerald Coffee Co. were officially set to open in February 2018 but had to be delayed as the building was not up to code. Green eventually opened a month later on March 31, 2018 and received an unanticipated warm welcome.
“It’s been great! The neighbourhood has been amazing, I’ve met amazing people, and the coffee scene in Hamilton is friendly. It doesn’t feel like competition here, it feels like we are all friends. There is a real sense of community,” said Green.
Emerald Coffee Co. is a unique coffee shop as everything they use is natural. Green makes his own vanilla syrup using vanilla beans, a rose syrup from dried rose petals, and goes to the United States to get hazelnut milk.
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With a wide range of espresso-based beverages such as lattes, and americanos, Green also has kombucha and cold-brew on tap all year around. Emerald Coffee Co. also gets in a different roasts of coffee every two weeks to keep things fresh. A fan-favourite of Emerald is their hazelnut latte made with real hazelnut milk instead of using traditional hazelnut syrup.
“We try to make everything as genuine as possible,” said Green.
About once a month, Green also develops a special seasonal drink. Bringing back a fan-favourite, the rose latte will be featured for the shop’s one-year anniversary along with one-dollar coffee throughout the last weekend of March.
Aside from coffee drinks, the shop also has sandwiches and salads for customers to enjoy as well as sweets from local Hamilton bakeries such as Donut Monster.
Currently, Green is trying to develop a way to bring a nightlife crowd to Barton Street East.
“It’s a really gay-friendly neighbourhood with a lot of the owners being queer, and we are welcoming to everyone. Hopefully in the near future, I’ll have some coffee cocktails to serve in the evening because we really need a nighttime crowd in the neighbourhood,” explained Green.
Isolated from the hustle and bustle of the downtown core, Emerald Coffee Co. is a great place to study or enjoy a great beverage with friends in a warm and inviting atmosphere amongst a community that is working together to show more of what Barton Street East has to offer.
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By: Natalie Clark
Calling all coffee addicts, there’s a new must try spot in town! Phin Coffee Bar is located at 804 King Street West. The Westdale neighbourhood spot is only a short walk from campus. The owner, Andrew Meas, launched the bar’s soft opening on Feb. 16 and has been committed to serving the Westdale community their best cup of coffee since.
This may be Meas’ first coffee shop, but he has lots of experience in the coffee industry and a lot of love for what he does.
After finishing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Toronto, Meas wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. His grandmother, who owned a café in New Zealand, invited him to make the trip to work for her and learn how to bake and make coffee.
Although Meas wasn’t a fan of the baking aspect of the café, he became intrigued by the coffee. Her returned back from New Zealand and starting working at Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters in Kitchener.
Soon after becoming a pro at brewing coffee, Meas made the decision to start planning his own coffee shop in June 2018. It was a decision of impulse and instinct, and he admits to a little bit of peer pressure.
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This pressure came in the form of the encouragement he had from his friends to take the next big step in career and open up Phin.
Meas quickly realized that opening up a coffee shop meant more than just knowing how to brew a good cup of coffee. While opening up Phin, Meas ran into some challenges, mostly administrative things he didn’t think of, like cups and insurance.
When choosing a location, Meas knew that the Westdale neighborhood would be the perfect place. The community’s charms and close proximity to McMaster were advantageous to the new business.
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Meas is aiming Phin Coffee Bar at students, professors and young adults, and being in the Westdale neighborhood accomplishes that for him.
When asked what he believes Phin will add to the Westdale community, Meas mentioned that he hopes it will create a lot of foot traffic, encourage the exploration of coffee and brew a reputable cup of coffee.
Meas sees coffee as a gateway into people’s lives, it’s a part of their routine and lifestyle, and Phin Coffee Bar aims to be that gateway by creating a cozy and approachable vibe in the Westdale community.
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