About Me
Our story
Coffee you can count on.
“I realized what people were craving was quality and consistency, every single day.”
Sam JamesFounder, Sam James Coffee Bar
2007
The shot that came back
In 2007, I was a young barista working at another coffee shop when I served Scott Rao, one of the most respected coffee experts in the world. I pulled what I thought was a great espresso. Scott handed it back and asked for his money back.
I couldn’t believe the nerve, so I asked him if he’d ever return a half eaten Butterfinger to the corner store. His answer:
“I wouldn’t have to. Butterfingers are consistent.”
Scott Rao
Then he walked me through everything wrong with the shot I’d just made, and I couldn’t argue with any of it.
The lesson
Every part of the equation counts.
A great cup comes down to a lot of things working together. Water filtration, the machine, the pressure profile, and most of all, how the beans are roasted. Get one wrong and it drags down the whole cup.
That day I learned the fundamentals have to be consistent before you start experimenting. Someone had shown me a better way to make coffee, and I felt I owed it to Toronto to serve the coffee people actually wanted.
2007
Schooled by Scott Rao
2008
Barista of the Year
2009
Harbord Street opens
2008
Barista of the Year, then Harbord Street
A year later I won Barista of the Year, judged by the one and only James Hoffmann. Not long after, I opened my first coffee shop on Harbord Street.
The mission hasn’t changed since. Give Toronto’s neighbourhoods the quality and consistency they deserve, one cup at a time.
The roastery
The most important part of the equation
Our roastery is the heart of everything we do. It’s where I control the part that matters most: the coffee itself.
We roast what people actually want to drink. Sweet, chocolatey, naturally developed medium roasts. That focus is why our coffee has been rated Toronto’s best for years. See how we roast.
Rated Toronto’s best, recognized across Canada
What I believe
Coffee should be a break, not an adventure.
Sam James
A tool, not a luxury
The trend
Coffee as fine wine
Too often, specialty coffee drifts toward wine: a high end product for a select few. I think that’s the wrong direction.
My coffee is a blue collar drink, for the early riser putting in the work and the creative up late finishing something. It’s delicious, consistent, easy to drink, easy to brew, and there when you need it most.
Today
Still roasting for Toronto
Over the years we’ve grown the menu, started roasting for other local coffee shops, and began shipping across Canada for free on subscriptions over $75.
Easy to drink.Easy to brew.Easy to buy.
Do yourself a favour. Stop by a shop or order your beans online today.
