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Toronto · Canada

De Mello Coffee

Since 2013 · Felix Cha, Won Cha

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Overview

De Mello — originally De Mello Palheta, named for the Portuguese explorer Francisco de Melo Palheta who carried coffee seeds from French Guiana to Brazil in the 1720s — was founded in 2013 by brothers Felix Cha and Won Cha after the pair encountered specialty coffee while living in Australia. The original Yonge-Eglinton location at 2489 Yonge opened just before that midtown Toronto neighborhood entered its major redevelopment phase. The roastery is in North York, Sarah Ball is Coffee Trainer and QC and a Canadian Cup Tasters Champion, and the brand has since opened a roastery and cafe in Seoul, South Korea.

Known for

  • Founded 2013 by brothers Felix Cha and Won Cha in midtown Toronto
  • Named for Portuguese explorer Francisco de Melo Palheta (1720s Brazil coffee origin story)
  • Coffee Trainer Sarah Ball — Canadian Cup Tasters Champion
  • Toronto's Best Cappuccino — blogTO multi-year award
  • International expansion to Seoul, South Korea

Why it matters

De Mello pulled off the rare trick of being a hometown midtown roaster that doesn't feel parochial. The combination of competitive coffee discipline (Sarah Ball's Canadian Cup Tasters title is the kind of credential most Toronto roasters don't have), the Australian-influenced bar program, and the Seoul expansion makes it the most internationally relevant Toronto specialty operator outside of Pilot.

Production

destoning
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head roaster
Felix Cha
color sorting
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roaster machine
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filter equipment
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cupping frequency
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roastery location
North York, Toronto, ON
espresso equipment
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annual volume tonnes
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Café

2489 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4P 2H6

Recognitions

  • Toronto's Best Cappuccino — blogTO
  • Canadian Cup Tasters Champion — Sarah Ball (Coffee Trainer/QC)

Sources

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