Black Gold in Guelph

How most of us feel in the morning

Most of us need it to start our day, and a lot of us require it to keep us from hitting a wall part way through our workday. It's something a lot of us can't live without.

It's coffee.

Guelph is home to well over forty coffee shops, only about half of which belong to chains such as Starbucks and Tim Hortons. According to Tim Hortons' website there are only twenty Tims in the city. Surprising, considering there seems to be one on every corner. Starbucks has six locations in the city, Coffee Time has four, and Second Cup has three.

The downtown area is home to a number of coffee shops. With the Grain, The Red Brick Cafe, and Capistrano are the cornerstones of downtown coffee culture. Between the three, they've been around for more than forty years. They're well established fixtures in the city with a strong clientele. The Red Brick is especially popular with students.

Compare that with recent newcomers Balzac's and The Common, both of which opened up earlier this year. I felt several years ago that Guelph had hit its saturation point with coffee shops when Magnolia opened its doors. Did we really need another coffee shop? I thought so again a few years ago when Ox opened its doors. Although Ox was primarily a restaurant, they did have the cafe section in the front window. Both businesses have since closed, their owners choosing to pursue other business ventures. While I never made it to Magnolia, I was sad to hear of Ox closing. The baristas made excellent mochas.

With the addition of Balzac's and The Common, the coffee culture continues to grow in Guelph. Both business are popular among downtown residents and those who work in the core. This, of course, means that I was completely wrong about having reached the saturation point of coffee shops in Guelph. And I am totally okay with that.