Coffee and a Side of the Usual
When a friend brought back bags of coffee from Costa Rica, Geordie and Jill Wilson could smell an opportunity brewing.
The couple were ready to dive into independent business after owning several Subways franchises. The Wilsons searched for the right location, and they opened San Vito Coffee House in 2010 in St. James.
San Vito’s coffee still comes from Costa Rica, a country the couple have yet to visit, but other food comes from closer to home. “We like to buy from local suppliers,” says Geordie Wilson, who notes they buy their beef and chicken from Food Fare next door. Frescolio supplies olive oil and vinegars for their salad dressings, and DeLuca’s roasts their beans as well as supplying their coffee machines. “These are families that run these businesses, like us. I want to see them be successful just like we want to be successful. I know how hard it is to make a go of it against a big multinational corporation—they’re beholden to their shareholders, but we’re beholden to our customers,” says Geordie.
A cozy neighbourhood space to grab a beverage, lunch, or dinner, San Vito’s offers local flavour, something different from the standard menu of fast-food options of Tim Horton’s. “When I go to another city, I like to try the local places. It builds the fabric of a community to have small local businesses,” says Geordie. “Our food doesn’t come readymade frozen in a package.” Their menu includes soups made from scratch in-house, and sandwiches concocted because an employee wanted to try flavour combinations (the pot roast and potato sandwich, which is no longer available, was one of the more unusual combos). “The only processed meat in our shop is bacon,” says Geordie, noting they roast their meats in the kitchen without preservatives.
Another menu standout is the 12 flavours of milkshake, made in an old-school mixer with hard vanilla ice cream, milk, and flavourings, such as the coffee crisp milkshake’s chocolate syrup with a shot of espresso. The chocolate chip cookies taste like homemade cookies for a reason: “It’s a recipe from Jill’s mother made in our kitchen,” says Geordie.
Individual attention from the staff, who are encouraged to learn the names of their customers, are part of what makes the coffee shop a neighbourhood gathering place. Retaining their staff for years helps (usually, staff join by being referred by someone who already works there).
“We don’t fake what we’re doing. Treat your customers like friends and families, and they’ll keep coming back,” says Geordie. That means he has attended funerals for several of his long-time customers. A pencilled picture of another regular hangs in a place of honour in the restaurant. The coffee shop’s regular customers—seniors, students and even local politicians who meet with constituents at San Vito—find the café a place to discuss the news and make friends, sitting comfortably in armchairs or at the tables, or on the patio in the summer.
The loyal staff and food made in their own kitchen have helped to make San Vito a neighbourhood mainstay.
All photos by Kristhine Guerrero
