I had the chance to get to know a new, neighbourhood favourite of mine, at a very special locale where Little Portugal, Queen West West and Parkdale all collide among 100-year-old Victorians. It’s called Fix Coffee + Bikes at 80 Gladstone Ave and they do just that, and they do it really well: fix you awesome coffee from De Mello Palheta Coffee Roasters and fix your bike!
Fred the owner decided to bring his two great loves together after finding inspiration during his time in Amsterdam, a city deeply enriched in both cafe and bike culture. Along with the expertise of his friends, Luis, who runs the bar end of things, and Ross, who runs the shop in the back, they’ve created a seamless experience to enjoy all things coffee and cycling.
When entering Fix, you’re greeted with a smile and choice of bean for your favourite espresso drink with “Dancing Goats”, a Brazilian origin with notes of milk chocolate, maple syrup and roasted almond, or an Ethiopian Oromia that will leave cherry, blueberry, and jasmine lingering on your palate. There is no shortage of in-house baked treats and staples, gluten-free options, artisanal sandwiches, and snacks to-go.
Once coffee in hand, you can browse their merch from Fellow and Keep Cup, take a seat outside in their giant south-facing patio, but why stop there? If you keep walking past the bar, you’ll notice the bikes on the walls, not only for resale but as art pieces, too. Fix Coffee + Bikes features a rotating bike exhibition (every 3-4 months), one of kind in Toronto, featuring local artists, bike makers, with new, vintage, upcycled, and refurbished pieces. VéloColour is still being featured but only for 1 more week.
Towards the back of the store is the retail and repair shop. You’ll find high-end brands like Bern, Thousand, and local ones too, like Oopsmark and YNOT. They also do custom bike builds using Detroit Bikes.
Fred wanted to start with doing the basics right, “start small and grow.” No cutting corners for this team. They’ve just started a weekend brunch, with this past weekend being only their second time. Come for a latté, or stay to work and enjoy the free wifi, peruse the gallery and maybe pick-up some new gear for yourself on your way out. This place has everything an uncaffeinated cyclist could ever want.
P.S. Fred’s favourite coffee is drip, black. But sometimes you might seem him with a cortado or cappuccino.
P.P.S. Check out Fix during bike race season; they show all the races on a large screen projector!
