Toronto is losing a much-loved Queen Street coffee shop, but the reason for its closure is not completely sad.
R Squared, the sunny little spot at 668 Queen St. West, has been serving up coffee, snacks and ample seating for free Wi-Fi for over six years. The owners have decided to close at the end of this month because they feel the timing is right. And they found a business they liked to move in.
"We knew from day one that this day would come at some point," says co-owner Reza Yazdjerei. "It's like being a movie director, you have to know when to cut."
Yazdjerei owns the coffee shop with his friend, who's also named Reza, which is why they called their business R2. They run it together with their wives.
"In this coffee industry you have two paths, either sell the business at some point or franchise to get bigger. That wasn't our interest, so we knew we'd sell it," says Yazdjerei.
They've sold R2 to cafe and cannabis culture shop Tokyo Smoke. They're fans of the coffee shop and lifestyle brand that recently raised $3 million and has plans for a big expansion. Tokyo Smoke also plans to start selling medical cannabis this April.
After being in talks for a year, they finally struck a deal and now the two Rezas and their wives will move back to Iran to pursue other business ventures.
"We've met and worked with a lot of good people," says Yazdjerei. "It's been a great experience."
by Phil Villeneuve via blogTO
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