Every year come summertime when the weather warms up in Toronto, one cultural craze continues to return just like clockwork: patio season.

Visitors and residents of Toronto alike flock to patios across the city looking for stylish spots under the summer sun where they can chill out and catch up with friends every chance they get. And, while current COVID-19 restrictions prohibit indoor dining of any kind (come Friday this will change), patio season mania in Toronto is even more palpable than ever before.

With service capacity at our favourite bars, restaurants, and cafes across the city limited to outdoor seating only, the clamour for enjoyable patio spaces has become quite competitive, to say the least.

However, being one of the many small businesses proud to be located in our West Toronto community, we decided to do our part and give back to the city we’ve loved living and working in over the years.

What We’re Up To

This summer, our team has worked hard behind the scenes to secure our very own CafeTO-approved patio space!

Located in the ever-popular neighbourhood of The Junction, where we’re welcoming members of our beloved west end community to come and hang out with us, their friends, and their family on our brand new CafeTO in the Junction patio.

The idea behind sponsoring our very own CafeTO parklet is to celebrate the many amazing small businesses in the area while helping to make summer as fun as it can be for our west end community this year.

Where To Find Us

We’ve set up our little summer oasis in the heart of The Junction at 2912 Dundas Street West, just a stone’s throw away from the energetic intersection of Dundas Street West and Keele Street.

Just lookout for the sunny patio with lush green turf, white picket fencing, and lots of vibrant, cheery flowers. In fact, we’ve colour-coordinated our parklet’s vivid selection of flowers to match our trademark Sidorova Inwood pink.

With two large planter boxes on either end of our parklet plus the flower garlands roped around the perimeter of white fencing, our patio is instantly recognizable from the street.

 

 

*Contest Disclaimer!*

Also, don’t forget to find us on Instagram where we run bi-weekly giveaways for followers who mention our CafeTO in the Junction patio in their stories and posts. So far, we’ve rewarded two of our lucky followers with prizes including a $100 Visa gift card and a $100 gift card to a local Junction business of their choice.

What To Do Here

Because our patio is designed to celebrate The Junction and our west end community, our rules for stopping by are quite simple — as long as you’ve done something to support one of the many small businesses in the area, you can grab a seat on our patio.

Whether you’ve bought a coffee, a drink, some food, or anything else from one of our friendly neighbouring shops and spots, you’re welcome to stop by and take advantage of our beautiful CafeTO seating space.

Stop by for a drink on our beautifully branded picnic tables, each complete with a large patio umbrella to keep you cool under the sun or dry in case of a surprise spot of rain. Or, kick back and relax on one of our branded Muskoka chairs; a true icon of Canadian summer relaxation.

Wherever you take a seat, just don’t forget to scan one of the QR codes you’ll find placed around on different spots across our parklet.

What’s Around

Some of our favourite businesses in The Junction are just steps away from our cozy little CafeTO parklet. So if you want to come chill out on our patio but don’t know where you should grab some food, a coffee, or your refreshment of choice, here are some of the best spots to support close by.

• Chica’s Chicken: Serving up some of Toronto’s most authentic spicy southern fried chicken, this Junction fan favourite was voted best Nashville Hot Chicken joint in Toronto by Toronto Life magazine. Stop by at 2853 Dundas Street West.
• Nodo Restaurant: Get your Italian food fix at Nodo Restaurant’s The Junction location. This casual Italian restaurant takes classics like wood-fired pizza, fried calamari, and seasonal pasta to a whole new level. Give them a visit at 2885 Dundas Street West.
• Playa Cabana Cantina: Part of the renowned restaurant group Mas Playas, the Cantina is one of The Junction’s favourite local Mexican-inspired restaurants. If you’re a fan of tacos, burritos, bocaditos, and other modern Mexican dishes, make sure you swing by at 2883 Dundas Street West.
• Full Stop Coffee: If you’re in need of a little pick-me-up, there are few better places to go for a great cup of joe in The Junction than Full Stop Coffee. Grab a sandwich, a pastry, or a sweet treat to go along with your favourite espresso-based drink from Full Stop Coffee at 2910 Dundas Street West.

Do you love spending time in The Junction as much as we do? Then perhaps it’s time you made your visit a little more permanent. As west end neighbourhood experts, we know communities like The Junction inside and out and can help you find the perfect home for you here. To learn more about what we can do for you, contact us here today.