Dark Horse Espresso Bar, the Toronto-based specialty coffee company, is preparing to open two new locations in Toronto, including sites at West House in King West and 941 College Street near Dovercourt.
The company’s new College Street cafe is set to move into the former home of Starbucks across from the YMCA, while the King West location will open inside the Hines-developed West House project at Bathurst and Wellington, according to 6ix Retail. The College and Dovercourt cafe is expected to open before the King West location, which is currently targeting an August 2026 debut. Customers can expect Dark Horse’s lineup of espresso drinks, seasonal coffees, matcha beverages, and house blends.
Dark Horse Espresso Bar first launched in Riverside in 2006, then relocated its original cafe to 630 Queen Street East in 2014. Founder Deanna Zunde built the company around creating coffee shops tailored to the neighborhoods they serve rather than using a standardized format. The company currently operates 17 cafes across Ontario, including standalone Toronto stores and locations inside Indigo bookstores. According to a November 2025 press release referenced by 6ix Retail, parent company Big League Food Company plans to grow Dark Horse to 23 locations by the end of 2026.
The two new cafes represent different strategies for the company. The King West location is an early investment in a neighborhood expected to continue evolving alongside the future Ontario Line King Bathurst station. Meanwhile, the College and Dovercourt cafe carries personal significance for Zunde, who previously lived in the area while working at Terroni on Queen West. The building also still contains its original bank vault.
Dark Horse has partnered with Detour Coffee since 2006, serving signature blends such as 20 Grand and Northern Dancer, alongside rotating single-origin coffees. The cafe’s matcha program uses Kato Spring Harvest Ceremonial Grade matcha sourced from Uji, Kyoto. Ryan McCabe currently serves as both Marketing Director for Dark Horse and Director of Coffee at Detour Coffee.
During the pandemic, Dark Horse converted several cafes into bottle shops and specialty food markets using existing liquor licenses. Some locations introduced imported wines and curated pantry items, with the Canary District cafe still maintaining a marketplace component today. This will be an excellent landing space for Dark Horse Espresso Bar as the company approaches its 20th anniversary in November 2026 and continues expanding across Ontario.
