Toronto coffee shop ditches to-go cups for good. Here’s why

Lourdes Coffee is seen in this undated image. (Instagram/lourdescoffee)

Phillip Rodrigues says he decided to switch to a flip phone about a year-and-a-half ago in an effort to be more present and focus on the world around him.

So it’s only fitting that, as the owner of a Lourdes Coffee in Toronto’s Carleton Village neighbourhood, he’s announced that he will ditch to-go cups entirely to reduce waste and create a more communal vibe in his café.

“Something that I believe in a lot is having a coffee and engaging with the environment around you because everyone is on the go, man,” Rodrigues told CTV News Toronto.

Rodrigues announced the bold move on Instagram earlier this week to a chorus of supportive messages.

Patrons are now encouraged to either bring their own mugs if they need to drink on the go or “sit and chill.”

The genesis of the idea is two-fold.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Lourdes (@lourdescoffee)

According to Rodrigues, he recently saw one of his branded coffee cups in Toronto’s east end lying on the street as a piece of garbage.

“At first glance, I was kind of like, ‘well that cool, I made it all the way out here,” Rodrigues explained. “And then, the realization of just how bad that was. I thought, ‘wow, if I’m a microcosm of what’s going on with garbage and how far it travels, it’s got to be way worse.”

But, on the other side of the initiative, is Rodrigues’ passion for the social aspect of coffee and the value of community.

“You know, being Portuguese, and spending time in Europe, you go to a café to be with people and the coffee is secondary. It’s not the primary reason you’re going out, you know,” Rodrigues said.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Lourdes Coffee would host live comedy, music and art shows, something Rodrigues said he loved doing as a hyperlocal coffee shop.

He’s hoping that the move to ditch to-go cups will bring back that same energy into his business for the benefit of his neighbourhood and the environment.