Found Coffee, an Australian-born and Toronto-based specialty coffee shop, is preparing to open a new location in Toronto, this time at 225 Front St W.
The company’s fifth location is set to open within the InterContinental Toronto Centre in Spring 2025, according to the company’s website. Founder Leighton Walters tells What Now Toronto that he and his team will start working on this project on March 24th and aim to open in early May 2025, just in time for patio season. Walters says the company will tailor its offering to suit the hotel guests better. This will be the first time Found Coffee lands in a place like this, as it already has locations in Guelph, Roncesvalles, Bellwoods, and College Street.
The new location will focus on providing quick and efficient service while delivering a premium experience that complements the high-class atmosphere of the InterContinental Hotel. While the full drink menu will still be available, Walters says the grab-and-go options will be expanded. Plans are also being made to introduce a V60 PourOver Brew Bar in the future. However, the food menu will be limited to prioritize specialty coffee and craft an experience that will encourage guests to return.
Walters tells What Now Toronto that the recent opportunity to bring Found Coffee into the InterContinental Hotel was unexpected, a chance unlocked by a local at their Bellwoods location. In early 2024, the idea was pitched to them, but Walters initially dismissed it. As a small business navigating market pressures and rising costs, expanding didn’t seem right at the time. However, after meeting the hotel’s team and allowing them to meet his own, it became clear that their visions were aligned — to introduce a slice of the Aussie Specialty Coffee scene to Toronto’s Downtown Core.
“One of our mates loved our coffee so much he opened the door for us with the managers and executives of the hotel,” Walters tells What Now Toronto. “It’s a long and crazy story, but the space wasn’t available for rent, but it became an opportunity that we were hand-selected for and just had to make happen. It’s only a small space, but we believe it has big potential to bring our passion for coffee and community to more people and make our city proud.”
Reflecting on the moment, Walters shared that it felt like a dream come true. Having first visited Toronto 30 years ago, falling in love with the city, and becoming a Blue Jays fan, he never imagined that three decades later, he’d return to the city to start a coffee shop just around the corner from the Rogers Centre, all while preparing to marry, become a Canadian citizen, and build a new chapter of his life in the place that first captured his heart.
