A place to gather
I had always imagined owning a café later in life, somewhere my friends and I could gather. The opportunity arrived sooner than I expected. At 25, while I was still running Comtel and taking courses at McGill, I found the space that would become Kafeïn.
I was immediately charmed by the space: two floors, a beautiful brick wall in the upstairs café, a stone wall in the downstairs bar and lounge, and a small terrace. Facing Concordia University, it had the character and setting for a place where people would want to gather.
Building it as a sole owner
With around $30,000 and seller financing, I took over the café with no partners, as its sole owner. I began improving it while serving customers, reinvesting in furniture, lighting, and the details that would give Kafeïn its character. It grew one improvement at a time.
Coffee, food, and an evening lounge
By day, Kafeïn was a café and restaurant serving students and downtown regulars. I created a selection of panini sandwiches that became a signature part of the menu, with customers still remembering their favorites years later.
In the evening, the atmosphere shifted into a bar and lounge with DJs. The two floors allowed the business to serve different moods, from coffee and lunch to an evening with friends.
A community over seventeen years
Regulars spent mornings, afternoons, and evenings at Kafeïn. Monthly tabs, branded T-shirts, hoodies, and car stickers became part of the community around it. Kafeïn remained part of my business life for over seventeen years, and for many customers it became part of their university experience.
As my other ventures developed, I brought my brother into the business as a co-owner after he graduated from university. He took over the day-to-day management and continued running the café through the years that followed while I worked on new projects.
Early recognition
One year after opening, Kafeïn received an honorable mention for Best Lounge in the Montreal Mirror’s 2003 Best of Montreal readers’ poll.
