Introducing: Hub, Wallace-Emerson’s new indie coffee shop
Toronto’s wealth of new indie cafés has been a boon to community life, but mostly for neighbourhoods south of Bloor. That’s not the case with Hub, which opened last weekend on a residential stretch of Shaw Street near Dupont. The spot has already gained a following from the residents of Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction who are thankful they no longer have to hop on their bikes to find a quick lunch, a latte or a cool escape from un-air-conditioned townhouses. At midday on a Wednesday, the place is bustling with moms with strollers and dads giving their daughters piggyback rides.
Owners Lisah Smith, Cyrus Lotfi and Steven Ashton—along with the architect-landlord who lives upstairs—transformed a former convenience store into a coffee lounge in just a month. The interior avoids the pitfall of many shabby-chic renos: spending too much money to look rustic. At Hub, it feels organic, almost like it was done out of necessity. The counters were salvaged from a gas station, the curtains are made from drop cloths, and the wall decorations consist of Smith’s 10-year-old collection of Italian wood plates.
Hub contrasts starkly with Smith’s previous place—a café at a ferry terminal on Vancouver Island, where customers grab and go. Here, people get to sit and appreciate her sandwiches and wraps ($7), such as roast beef and chicken with walnut pesto. The sandwich options change every day, but, as she tells a customer unsure of Wednesday’s featured item, “I can make anything back here.”
Behind the scenes, Ashton churns out such baked goods as black-cherry brownies ($3) and cranberry trail mix muffins ($1.50). In fact, with the exception of the bread, delivered daily from St. John’s Bakery, everything is made in house with an extra emphasis on organic ingredients. “Our eggs are farm-fresh and hormone-free, and our bacon doesn’t have any nitrates,” Smith points out while she makes the “breakfast on a bun” sandwich (egg, lettuce, tomato, mayo, bacon and an unexpected squiggle of hoisin, $4). This is not haute cuisine—it’s more like something a creative foodie friend might make on the weekend. Combine the menu with the location and the name, and Hub is the definition of the neighbourhood coffee house.
Hub, 1028 Shaw St. (at Dupont), 647-347-7789, hubcoffeehouse.com.
UPDATED: July 23 at 9:42 a.m.
Sounds like a great spot, and the neighbourhood needs it. But since when is Shaw and Dupont ‘Wallace Emerson?’
Agreed – I live a block away and have never heard of wallace-emerson. I thought maybe Mr. Wallace-Emerson was the proprietor.
Way ahead of you two. Not only have I heard of Wallace Emerson, I have taken to calling it Wall-E.
Lisah Smith’s Cafe on Vancouver Island was called Lito’s on the ferry line to Salt Spring Island. She did a fabulous job of serving her customers there and will no doubt make a huge success of her new venture in Toronto with Cyrus Lotfi and Stephen Aston. Hold on to your hats folks for some great healthy food and the best coffee ever. Wall-E is the place to visit now.
Actually, the neighborhood is neither Wallace-Emerson (which is blocks away, in Seaton Village) nor Christie Pits – it’s called East Oz.
I went there the other day and had a wonderful experience. My sandwich was amazing and everyone was very friendly. thank you!
Wallace-Emerson?!? I know our neighbourhood has a hard time naming itself but seriously! Just call it Christie Pits or something. Wallace Emerson?!?
Wonderful cafe, and a great addition to the hood. But it’s Christie Pits. Wallace Emerson is way further west. Get a map.
I stand corrected. What do I know, I live on Vancouver Island in BC. I do like East-Oz though.
Yes, I think of Wallace Emerson was being the Dufferin-Dupont-Landsdowne area. But Wall-E is great!
I knew Lito’s cafe when Lisa started it. Fresh fruit salad, (No fruit from a bucket!) fresh baked goods,and amazing sandwiches! I’m curious to what kind of coffee they’ve settled on, but I’m sure they laboured over the choice. It will be the “Hub” for sure! Congrats to the owners and neighbours!
Great addition to a great and eclectic neighbourhood. Always thought one of those long lost corner store lots would have a solid customer base for a decent cafe. Lived down the street for 10 plus years and never heard of the area being referred to as Wallace Emerson…it’s Christie Pits although East Oz has a good ring to it. You’d think Toronto Life of all publications would know the importance of getting a neighbourhood name right.
I love the openess and simplicity of the decor. And the food is great too. By the way, on the old city of Toronto maps this area is always referred to as Seaton Village. Christie pits doesn’t have much of a cache and Wallace/Emmerson is actually way west at the intersection of Wallace and Emmerson.
What is Wallace Emerson? Who is this person?
Wallace Emerson? Are you joking Toronto Life? We now you don’t actually know much the city outside of “the hot new neighbourhood to buy your investment property in”, but this is a new low.
Hub cafe is nowhere near that neighbourhood, by anyone’s map. Perhaps you are confusing Shaw with Symington?
This reminds me of an old episode of Ab-Fab:
Antonia: Where am I here?
Patsy: In my gracious drawing room.
Antonia: No, I mean where is this? Shepherd’s Bush?
Eddie: Holland Park! Holland Park! It’s not on the outskirts, either. It’s not the edge of Holland Park. This is the rich heartland of Holland Park here. All right, is the photographer here yet?
I’m moving into the neighborhood in a few days, and I’m excited to check this place out. It’ll be nice to enjoy a coffee without the need to ride into the clusterfuck that is Bloor st. Keep it residential, you know?
That being said, why the need for so MANY neighborhood designations? It’s like, when I was 12, and living in the suburbs, riding my bike 2 blocks west did not a new neighborhood make. Jeeze. Is it because the city is full of try-hards with identity crises’ wanting to carve out custom personas from brick and mortar?
Yes.
Good luck to all – I live one block away and wish the new venture well!! Looking forward to sitting down for my first coffee there on Saturday with my Golden Retriever by my side. By the way, we are nowhere near Wallace-Emerson….as you well know by now!!
Why not write all these lovely comments on The Hub blog…
http://www.hubcoffeehouse.com/index.html
You can check out what their vision is for their cafe.
Wallace Emerson is the name of the park and community centre at Dufferin and Dupont,–totally different hood if one is living a truly local existence. If one is going to choose to name this corner, then call it “Esssx Public” or “Christie Pits” since that those are the two closest public spaces. Best of luck to the place.
It was great seeing you. Brenda and I has a wonderfull visit. I think grandma Jessie would be very proud.Your food was great, good luck. Debbie Paolucci.
Having a business on Dupont just west of Christie (Halcyon Health), I always feel I’m in a “neighbourhood-no-man’s land,” neither Seaton Village, nor Christie Pits, nor Annex, nor Wychwood, nor Bloorcourt.
I love East-Oz, I think I’m going to start using that!
To play on history, our corner should be “Ford Corner” since the Faema building was originally a Ford Model-T assembly plant and showroom. Check out the photos in the elevator lobby at the Faema building to see Model-T’s in what is now the cafe!
I live in Christie Pits and applaud The Hub as a new addition. I always thought one of these vacant commercial corners would be a great location for a cafe. Thank you Hub for contributing to the gentrification of our neighbourhood!
If residents of Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction–which stretches as far west as Dundas and Dupont–are “thankful they no longer have to hop on their bikes to find a quick lunch,” the neighbourhood must be raising a breed of very hardy walkers.
As for me, I live a mere block away, and can’t wait to visit. My friends are already Hub evangelists.
this place is my second home! i have refill after refill of coffee (an extra dollar), amazing cheap grill cheese sandwiches on the world’s most amazing bread, and the daily baked goods run out fast, so get there before lunch time. Neighbourhoods need more places like this.. thanks god for the locavorium it has saved me!