Since opening in 2014, Goat Coffee Co. has been bringing buzz to the Pape Avenue strip north of Danforth. As long-time residents and members of the East York community, owners Damian and Anna Michaelidis had grown a little dismayed by the lack of development in the neighbourhood. They believed the retail strip needed a solid dose of positive change.
“It’s up to the community to work together, support one another and change the neighbourhood. Be the change you want to see!” Anna says. " We decided to be the change here.”
Drawing on their combined experience in construction and real estate (Anna is the President and Broker of Record of Royal LePage Urban Realty) , the pair saw the run-down corner building at Pape and Sammon (previously a seedy Cash-For-Gold store) and envisioned a welcoming coffee house where neighbourhood locals could meet, socialize and connect, in addition to grabbing a cup of fine espresso.
The interior benches, counters and tables were constructed by Damian himself using reclaimed wood from the 1800’s that was salvaged from the Distillery District. “We tried to maintain the essence of the building by revealing the true character and beauty We restored the original brick wall, uncovered a beautiful tin ceiling hiding under layers of drywall and repurposed it for our coffee bar, we also installed beautiful herringbone flooring to give it a little wow factor,” Anna says.
