Over ten years ago, Cafellini was a small new café in Saint-Bruno, on the South Shore of Montreal. Today, there are two locations, including the original in Montreal, and hundreds of loyal customers. Here is a short history of the wonderful company.
Johanne Houle and Jordan Myall are a mother and son business duo, and they started this adventure in 2006. Johanne worked in management and Jordan had just completed his studies in fashion design. In November of that year they bought a small café in Saint-Bruno and fixed it up from top to bottom. Finally, four months later they opened Cafellini.
For them, the most important thing was impeccable customer service and high-quality coffee. The latter was more in Jordan’s area of expertise, as he completed a coffee technician and pro training in the United States, in addition to participating in numerous regional and national competitions!
It is clear that these elements were the right choice, as more than fifteen years later the same customers still line up at the door every morning in Saint-Bruno, and new customers show up every day at the Montreal location, which is a cute little building on Beaubien Road East, in the Rosemont area. The latter opened in 2016, as Jordan now lives in Montreal.
Over the years, Cafellini has generated a whole line of exclusive coffee blends (Barista Micro-Roastery approved of course) and a clothing line. Fueled by a desire to establish themselves and get involved in their community, Jordan and Johanne have collaborated with many local businesses and artists (some of whom are their own employees).
Furthermore, their employees are more than just employees, they are an important part of the Cafellini brand. Jordan still takes the time to train each new employee to ensure that they have the basics and that each cup of coffee is always to their standards. The customer service is therefore always a ten out of ten; they are always smiling and creating personable relationships with customers, both at the Montreal location as well as in Saint-Bruno. I challenge you to not have a laugh with France, the manager of the South Shore location!
With so much attention to detail, it’s not shocking that Cafellini now has loyal customers, both at the Beaubien and Montarville Road locations!
Could you tell that I am a former Cafellini employee? Jo and Jord, as their friends call them, are so much more than employers. I was 15 when I was hired at the Saint-Bruno café as a cleaner, and when I was 16, I got my first job as a barista with them. I worked there for almost seven years, and I still go back whenever I have time. Cafellini, is more than my first job, it’s a second family. That being said, I wasn’t biased at all when writing this article, not in the slightest...
(But for real, go try it!)
- Camille Laventure
