These 3 Great Local Cafés Just Opened New Locations

MILE-EX/LITTLE ITALY — Neighbourhood coffee favourites Larue & Fils have expanded for a second time, opening a new roastery. The coffee shop has gone outside the boundaries of Villeray for the first time, taking up residence in a former industrial space on Waverly, just north of Beaubien (access is from Beaubien only, as it’s a dead-end street).

Open as of Wednesday, it’s a big, somewhat sparse space with couches, and bar stools along a long counter — it’ll supply roasts to Larue & Fils’ other locations on de Castelnau (the original) and Jarry. It’s open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 6550 Waverly.

LATIN QUARTER — Popular Beaubien Street coffee shop Pista has paired up with beer bar Pamplemousse for its first expansion, located on St-Laurent right by Pamplemousse. It’s a big’un — with a former electronics store at its disposal, it clocks in at 2,000 square feet, with room for 60 customers. Expect roasts from the Pista guys themselves (the original Petite-Patrie café switched to serving house roasts in late 2018), and a kitchen serving light lunches and weekend brunch.

As with the very pretty Pista 1.0, design is a focus here, with furniture from local firm Alphabet and custom-made lighting from Hamster. It’s open at 1587 St-Laurent from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by night, the space will be used for private groups, and cultural events such as vernissages.

Caffè In Gamba/Facebook

MILE END — After 12 years in business on Parc Avenue, Caffè In Gamba has made its first expansion, opening in the rapidly-changing loft-office zone at St-Viateur East and Casgrain. It took over the former premises of Brooklyn Café, by agreement with the owners of that now-closed eatery.

In Gamba was one of the city’s first third wave-ish coffee shops when it started back in 2007, it now carries a rotating selection of solid coffees including roasts from Vancouver’s 49th Parallel and Hamilton’s Detour. With a sizable space on hand, it also serves salads. Open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, closed weekends.

• Pista, Montreal’s Café on Wheels, to Open Petite-Patrie Coffee Shop [EMTL]
• A New Locale for Larue & Fils and Oui Mais Non [EMTL]