A chat in the summer sun with the lovely Gail Hawkins!

Gail Hawkins opened Niche Coffee at 626 Queen Street West about 2 years ago, and sat with me on a sunny afternoon to talk about her experiences as a business owner and resident of Queen Street West.

Previously occupied by the Vienna Home Bakery, which closed it's doors in 2006 after 22 years of providing a meeting place and yummy baked goods for the neighborhood, the residents had mixed feelings about a new coffee shop taking over the space. Many were happy to see an independent owner take over the space (as opposed to a Starbucks, which created much debate in the neighborhood with the openings at Queen and Dovercourt and later, Queen and Bathurst). Some were opposed just because they had such strong love and nostalgia for the Vienna Home Bakery.

"I don't care how good it is by any metric. It can never replace the Vienna Cafe, only occupy the space."

-a response to a glowing review of Niche Cafe on blogTO

Sitting with Gail at Niche, she told me the story of a lady who vowed never to step through the door, as she was proposed to by her husband in what was the front booth of the Vienna Home Bakery. The lady eventually came in, and struck up a conversation with the barista! A story like this is so interesting to me, as it exemplifies the close knit pride in the neighborhood. Residents are affected by business closures, and have a personal connection to the shops. Change is inevitable... businesses don't last forever, sometimes by choice ( an interview with Vienna Home Bakery owner Gay Couillard sheds light on her decision to hang up her rolling pin: www.thestar.com/article/154552). But the response from this lady shows the personal connection residents feel on a strip that has been referred to by many as a "mini-mall". It isn't a mini-mall. People live here and care about the businesses that are staples in their daily lives. In years to come, Gail hopes that Niche will become a staple for current residents.

The atmosphere of Niche is quite chill, they have a super sweet back patio and the coffee was yummy, yummy. Gail knew many of the customers by name, and there seemed to be a stream of "regulars". Speaking with Gail about the neighborhood, she explained that she knew many of the other business owners and their employees and spoke of a sense of support in the area for each others businesses. When speaking about crime in the area, Gail expressed that there are issues with the crossroads at Queen and Bathurst, but that is part of the makeup of the community and the police are accessible and co-operative if problems arise. The pulse of the street and the unpredictability of an area which attracts so many different people were positive attributes of the locale, and Gail, a former east-ender who now also resides in the neighborhood, feels right at home!

Gail loves shopping at all the specialty shops and her favorite local haunt is Trinity Bellwoods Park, where she walks her dogs. Gail would like to see a nice cheese shop spring up in the 'hood. And she may have gotten her wish: The Leslieville Cheese Market recently opened at 541 Queen Street West!

Thanks for the coffee and the chat, Gail!