News – Martin Espresso Bar

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Finch Store Update: City against corner store

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Alejandra Bravo Celebrate Finch Store’s Historic Zoning Win

March 8th, 2026

After a long and uncertain journey, we are overjoyed to share some incredible news: the threat of closure is officially behind us.

As many of you know, our right to serve espresso was challenged last year due to outdated residential bylaws. We faced a hearing and the very real possibility of losing the equipment and training we had invested so much in. But instead of facing it alone, we turned to you.

The way this community rallied behind Finch Store was nothing short of miraculous. Thanks to the thousands of petition signatures and the tireless work of local advocates, city officials listened. In November, new regulations were passed to protect corner stores and cafes on community streets just like ours.

Because of your voices, our new license was officially granted in late February, and we even had the honor of having the mayor hand deliver it to us in early March.

We want to extend our deepest, most heartfelt gratitude to every single person who signed a petition, shared our story, or just stopped in for a coffee.

Thank you for keeping our espresso flowing. Your support means the world to us.

Please see below for a full description of the events.

June 2024

Nearly a year ago, we received an unexpected letter from the Toronto Licensing Department regarding an anonymous complaint. It claimed Finch Store was unlawfully providing espresso-based to-go beverages, despite our valid city license. We were shocked when an officer informed us that our license had been issued by mistake due to a unique residential bylaw prohibiting the sale of to-go beverages.

Despite this, we chose to maintain our license, having invested significantly in equipment and training. Shortly after, we received a notice for a hearing with no set date or details. Facing potential closure, we sought support from our wonderful community.

Thanks to the tremendous efforts of local advocates like Dan Seljak, who brought attention to our situation, we gained over 200,000 impressions overnight and drew attention from news networks such as Global News, CTV, BlogTO, and the Toronto Star. With the help of local councilor Alejandra Bravo, our hearing was deferred to June, when the bylaw will be voted on.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who advocated, signed the petition, or even just stopped by for a coffee. Your support means the world to us.