Estimated studying time: 7 minutes
Key takeaways
- 71% of Canadian adults drank espresso up to now day.
- Tim Hortons stays dominant, however specialty espresso is gaining floor.
- Cities like Vancouver, Calgary, and Montréal lead Canada’s specialty scene.
- US tariffs examined Canadian roasters who relied on cross-border provide chains.
Canada’s espresso tradition has grown quick. Based on the Espresso Affiliation of Canada, 71% of Canadian adults drank espresso up to now day, making it the nation’s most consumed beverage. Nationwide consumption has risen by nearly one million 60kg luggage per yr over the past decade, with Canadians averaging 2.7 cups day by day.
Adam Pesce, President and proprietor of Reunion Espresso Roasters in Toronto, Ontario, says the nation’s espresso historical past has carefully adopted the broader “waves” of espresso. “Though we might not have been an actual trailblazer relative to among the extra progressive espresso cultures around the globe, we’ve all the time punched above our weight by way of our affect,” he says.
Adam’s father, Peter, started working in espresso within the Seventies and helped pioneer fashionable direct commerce and quality-driven practices. His roastery, Bourbon Espresso, was among the many first second-wave roasters in Canada.
At the moment, like many different main espresso customers, homegrown chains lead the market. Tim Hortons, based in 1964 and well-known for its doughnuts, is extra in style in Canada than McDonald’s and has turn out to be deeply embedded in Canadian tradition. But throughout the nation, unbiased cafés and roasteries are constructing a specialty-focused scene.
You might also like our article on how tariffs reshaped espresso commerce in North America.
Specialty espresso expands in Canada
Veronica Ortiz Rodriguez, Model, Advertising and Client Expertise Lead for Rabbit Gap Roasters in Montréal, Québec, which opened in 2018, says the trade remains to be discovering its ft. “Espresso in Canada has advanced so much, but it surely’s nonetheless in transition. For a very long time, it was dominated by commodity espresso and bigger chains, and actually, that’s nonetheless the fact right now,” she tells me.
“Specialty is rising, but it surely’s nonetheless a small a part of the general market. There’s extra consciousness round high quality and sourcing, however there’s nonetheless plenty of work to be completed throughout the board.”
At the moment, the Canadian espresso trade is valued at round CA$6.2bn and employs over 160,000 individuals.
“Vancouver feels just like the origin level for lots of Canada’s third wave espresso motion,” Adam explains. Vancouver roaster forty ninth Parallel, a Mix Silver Winner on the 2025 International Espresso Awards US & Canada version, opened its first café in 2007, spurring the expansion of town’s specialty espresso scene. At the moment, different notable roasters and low retailers in Vancouver embody Nemesis, Revolver, Prototype, Propaganda, Pallet Espresso Roasters, Oidé Espresso, and extra.
Positioned close to the Rocky Mountain foothills, Calgary is dwelling to world-class roasters like Monogram, co-founded by seven-time Canadian Barista Champion Ben Put, and Phil & Sebastian, a Filter Gold Winner on the 2025 International Espresso Awards US & Canada version.
“Calgary has asserted its dominance over the ‘aggressive’ espresso panorama, and Toronto helped ‘commercialise’ and increase what specialty has turn out to be,” Adam says.
Toronto’s espresso scene has exploded lately. Sometimes called the world’s most worldwide metropolis, the place greater than 140 languages are spoken, Toronto is dwelling to Pilot Espresso Roasters (opened in 2009), Subtext Espresso Roasters, De Mello, Fika, Propellor, Library, Hatch, and extra.
Completely different cities, totally different espresso scenes
Recognized for its meals and jazz scene and European-inspired tradition, Montréal additionally has a thriving specialty espresso scene. “Ever the cultural hotbed, Montréal fostered a brand new technology of micro-roasters with its pioneering of the co-op roasting area, permitting cafés to find out their choices at an entire new stage,” says Adam.
In 2018, Scott Rao and Andy Kyres based the Canadian Roasting Society, offering a artistic area for roasters to develop their abilities. Quite a few roasters and cafés additionally function in Montréal, together with Dispatch, Crew Collective, Eclair, 94 Celsius, Escape, Visitors, Jungle, and extra.
“Montréal stands out as a result of retailers are very intentional about their model id. Everyone seems to be attempting to carve out one thing distinct somewhat than observe an ordinary specialty template,” Veronica says. “It’s an actual melting pot past simply French and Anglo-Canadian influences, and that range exhibits up in how cafés method espresso and hospitality.”
Past main cities, locations like Edmonton, Ottawa, and Halifax are dwelling to distinctive cafés and roasteries. Pioneers like North Roast Espresso Roasters, one of many first specialty espresso roasters in Kingston, Ontario, have been working for nearly three many years – defining native espresso scenes.
“Specialty espresso is really in all places in Canada because of the fervour that’s been fostered from coast to coast”, says Adam.
A specialty espresso market that stands out as its personal
With annual espresso consumption steadily rising, Canada’s specialty market will proceed its upward trajectory. Because it positive aspects a global popularity for distinctive espresso, Canada more and more stands out towards its southern neighbour, the US – one of the established coffee-consuming nations on the earth.
“Canadians are deeply ordinary espresso drinkers. We’re one of many highest per-capita consuming nations on the earth, however for a very long time, the tradition was extra about ritual than high quality,” Adam says. “Tim Hortons’ Double-Double – brewed espresso with two lotions and two sugars – is virtually a nationwide icon, and there’s something genuinely comforting about that custom.
“Most Canadians go for a superb old school cup of drip espresso,” he provides. Analysis from the Espresso Affiliation of Canada, nevertheless, finds that 29% of Canadian adults had an espresso-based drink up to now day – signalling a shift in client behaviour.
Inexperienced espresso sourcing practices are additionally evolving. “There’s a small however rising shift towards long-term relationships with producers, not simply shopping for espresso yr to yr. Extra firms, like our companions Semilla Espresso, and what we’re constructing right here at Rabbit Gap, are committing to working with the identical producers crop after crop,” Veronica explains.
“That additionally means paying greater costs than native markets, investing in infrastructure or training when and the place wanted, and supporting tasks which can be socially ahead and rooted in actual influence at origin,” she provides. “It’s much less about surface-level narratives and extra about giving producers the instruments to construct independence and long-term success inside their very own communities.
“This type of consistency plus shared progress remains to be not the norm, but it surely’s the place the trade must go if we’re severe about sustainability and fairness.”
Unprecedented challenges emerged – and Canadians tailored
The US and Canada have one of the open commerce relationships on the earth. However in February 2025, US President Trump’s 25% tariffs threatened the US$2.5bn value of products and providers crossing the border daily.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney retaliated by imposing tariffs on imported items from the US, together with espresso. This raised costs for Canadian roasters who relied on US inexperienced espresso importers, a few of which have a well-established presence within the Canadian market.
In response, some roasters might have switched to homegrown importers. However with Canada’s fundamental transport port positioned in Delta, British Columbia, elevated transport prices have been additionally a priority.
Though espresso has since been exempted, US-Canada tariffs stay in place – straining a traditionally pleasant commerce relationship. Trump’s remarks about making Canada the “51st State” have been additionally met with intense backlash, even prompting some café homeowners to rename the americano because the “Canadiano” as an act of defiance.
Tariffs examined the resilience of the Canadian espresso trade, with many roasters reliant on cross-border provide chains. However its specialty espresso market continues to thrive.
From Vancouver’s pioneering third-wave manufacturers to Montréal’s progressive micro-roasters, Canada has constructed a really distinctive espresso scene. Every metropolis gives its personal distinct espresso expertise, and with consumption rising, the nation is on monitor to maintain defining specialty espresso tradition by itself phrases.
Loved this? Then learn our article on why roasters are persevering with to collaborate.
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