Having written about Milky’s Toronto back in 2019, and referencing it more recently in our review of Robert Schneider’s Coffee Culture book, it’s music to our ears — and a delight to the eyes — that the small café brand have opened a third location in the Canadian city, the new spot located at 1243 Dundas St West, just a 20 minute walk from their 760 Dundas St West venue.
Designed by Simone Ferkul Projects, the space incorporates the eye-catching designs of the first two locations, but with a twist. The elongated diamond design synonymous with Milky’s interiors has been unfolded into three dimensions, with metal, wood and stone surfaces used to create the 3D pattern.
Telling us how they wanted to keep the brand identity while adding something new, Fraser Greenberg, founder of Milky’s commented: “There was an expectation that Milky’s three would re-use the graphic identity in a new material on the walls and ceiling. People like calling the other locations the “wood one” or “stone one.” But avoiding expectations is what we’re best at so we found a new way of looking at the diamond.”
Milky’s shares the space with a locally loved barbershop, The Fitting Room, and therefore the designer had to navigate a narrow functional and aesthetic overlap of the two businesses. Materials, forms, and colours were coordinated to work between the shops, while details distinguished them. A central point and standout space for the cafe are the wooden diamonds faceted along the bar wall. More than three hundred pieces were cut, fit, and glued into the fluting and placed by hand to create a brand moment that is subtle, instead of overbearing.
Serving the same drinks and boasting the same vibe as the two other locales, with Milky’s you can be sure of thoughtfully crafted coffee and seasonal specialty drinks in design-led surroundings. Another fine addition to this hip Toronto neighbourhood.
Milky’s 1243 Dundas Toronto Photography, Riley Snelling.
