Inside Canada’s Coffee Culture: How 10 Dean Is Brewing Up Fresh Ideas

Square’s latest restaurant report spilled the beans on Canada’s coffee habits—from matcha mania to drip devotion—and Toronto café 10 Dean is right in the thick of it. We chatted with Antoine Vautherot, Senior Manager of Hospitality at Fitzrovia, to find out how the boutique brand is serving up flavour, innovation, and community spirit—one cup at a time. —Noa Nichol

Square’s latest report shows Montrealers grab their coffee earlier than Calgarians—what do you notice about morning routines and coffee rush hours across your own 10 DEAN locations?

Across our 10 DEAN locations, we’ve observed distinct rhythms that reflect the surrounding communities. For example, at our Parker café, nestled in a residential area, we see a sharp morning rush from 7 to 9 a.m.—a clear sign that locals are fuelling up before work. There’s also a second wave later in the afternoon as people return home from the office or school. In contrast, locations near universities, like our Waverley and Elm cafés, follow a different tempo. Students are slower to start their day, so mornings are quieter—giving our teams time for prep—until traffic spikes around 10 or 11 a.m. and often remains steady through the evening. These patterns directly influence how we staff, prep, and even program events to best match each neighbourhood’s flow.

With drip coffee still the top choice among Canadians, how does 10 DEAN balance traditional favourites with trending drinks like matcha or plant-based lattes?

While drip coffee ranks in the top five at some of our locations, it’s far from the top seller across the board. Our guests are increasingly gravitating toward creative, seasonal drinks and standout lattes. That said, we put just as much effort into nailing the classics as we do with trend-forward offerings. Whether it’s a simple drip or a cappuccino, we’re focused on excellence—sourcing high-quality ingredients like Sheldon Creek dairy and Oatside oat milk, and ensuring our baristas have the time and tools to get it just right. On the flip side, we actively invest in innovation. Our rotating feature drinks are designed to be both delicious and eye-catching, tapping into customer curiosity and visual culture without sacrificing quality. It’s all about offering both comfort and excitement.

The report shows a 114% rise in matcha orders—have you seen a similar spike at 10 DEAN? What do you think is driving this “matcha madness”?

Absolutely. The growth of matcha at 10 DEAN has been staggering—this year, our Strawberry Matcha Latte became our most popular drink. We’ve always prioritized a high-quality matcha offering, using a single-origin base and pairing it with house-made syrups and premium dairy or plant-based options. We believe the popularity comes down to a mix of factors: potential health benefits, the gentler caffeine profile, its versatility across dayparts, and, yes, the highly Instagrammable aesthetic. That vibrant green pops on camera and draws a lot of attention online. We’ve leaned into the trend by launching our own matcha workshops, where we explore the history, health benefits, and preparation of matcha. They’ve become so popular that we’ve had to expand them across multiple days and locations.

Square’s data reveals 61% of Canadians are looking for healthier options at quick service restaurants. How is 10 DEAN adapting its menu to reflect this demand?

We’ve absolutely seen this shift in certain areas—particularly with the rise of matcha, which is often viewed as a health-conscious choice, and a growing demand for alcohol-free options at our bar-focused locations like Elm. In response, we’ve launched a dedicated mocktail menu featuring layered, complex drinks that offer the same elevated experience without the alcohol. Our broader menu strategy remains flexible: if we hear consistent requests—whether for gluten-free, vegan, or lower-sugar options—we work closely with our team to bring thoughtful additions that don’t compromise on taste or presentation.

Vegetarian and plant-based options are gaining popularity. Have you noticed a shift in what guests are looking for in your cafés, and how are you innovating to meet those needs?

We haven’t seen a massive shift toward vegetarian meals overall, but one area where change has been undeniable is in the milk selection for coffee. Oat milk, in particular, has surged—now accounting for more than a third of all milk-based drink orders. This shift has driven us to continuously explore the best plant-based milk options available, which ultimately led us to Oatside, from Japan. We’ve built strong supplier relationships to ensure that our non-dairy options not only meet customer expectations for health and sustainability but also pair beautifully with espresso and specialty drinks, in both hot or iced formats.

With so many cafés competing for consumer attention, what makes a modern coffee shop like 10 DEAN stand out—beyond just the brew?

At 10 DEAN, it starts with hospitality. We want every guest to feel genuinely seen and welcomed—from the warmth of a barista remembering your name to the comfort of being guided through the menu when it’s your first visit. Our teams are trained to create connection, not just serve drinks. Beyond that, our rotating drink menus and events—like matcha workshops and paint nights—are designed to engage and surprise our regulars while encourage newcomers to enjoy our hospitality and offering. And finally, our café environments speak for themselves. Each space is thoughtfully designed to reflect the character of its surrounding community, we consistently hear that it’s the look and feel of our locations that first capture people’s attention. It’s café as cultural space, not just a coffee stop.

Looking ahead, what do you predict will be the next big trend in Canadian coffee culture—either in how people drink it, where they buy it, or what they pair it with?

Matcha still has runway, but with potential sourcing shortages ahead, we think hojicha could emerge as a popular alternative—though it may lack the visual impact of matcha. But beyond ingredients, we believe the future of coffee will be increasingly shaped by human connection. As automation grows behind the bar, there’s a real opportunity to double down on service—giving baristas more time to engage meaningfully with guests. At 10 DEAN, we’re leaning into that future. For us, hospitality isn’t an add-on—it’s the core product.