Collective Coffee: The Ideas Behind the Espresso Bar
“It had to be the place where conversations were overheard, advice would be offered, and where ideas could get traction.”
Located front and centre at The Two Twenty, Collective Coffee was conceived as a centralized social space, positioned to be the glue of the community by insisting on interactions to happen in its compact, high energy environment. It had to be the place where conversations were overheard, advice would be offered, and where ideas could get traction... all while waiting in line for a macchiato or an Americano. "CoCo" would be the hub where business owners, staff, and customers of 20th St. West would come to stay connected. And they do.
Guided by our ethos, we were determined to make a truly unique space, and we wanted to get inventive with the materials we used.
Riversdale is full of treasures; the buildings, people and history are a natural wellspring of out-of-the-ordinary items and inspiration. We were convinced that all of the signature detail pieces could come from this neighbourhood. Our intuition proved right. We struck gold in our searches and found some fantastic local materials to use. We eventually repurposed them, as needed, to help shape the visual flavour and overall experience of Collective Coffee.
The espresso bar embodies this perfectly: made of vintage pickle wood from the defunct Saskatoon Vinegars Ltd, it is wrapped in steel rails that have been crafted from dumb waiter elevator parts from the legendary Toon's Kitchen (now Paved/AKA). It is complemented with shelving behind it made from refashioned steel I-beams from Inland Steel Salvage, making its material DNA 100% Riversdale.
If you're in the neighbourhood, we invite you to stop in for a great cup of coffee and a great environment, one that is considered Saskatoon's Best Coffee Shop.