Here’s how a family of Bobs inspired a coffee shop concept

By Bill Tremblay

TORONTO — A childhood memory has helped name a new coffee shop concept in Davenport Village. 

While brainstorming names for the new business, owner Mark Bacci recalled a memory of a friend’s father’s employee. 

“When I was a teenager my friend’s father was a plumber and he had a man working for him named Bob, not Robert, Bob,” Bacci said. “All four of his sons were also named Bob. I never forgot it.” 

Bacci included the name when pitching possible business monikers to a focus group and decided to name the new business BOB COFFEE. 

“The only name people remembered was Bob,” Bacci said. “Bob is the everyman. It’s something people won’t forget.”

BOB, located at 440 Christie St., is a new concept from Bacci, Suresh Singh and Riyaz Somani – the restaurateurs behind the Lil’ Baci Italian restaurants in Midtown and Leslieville. 

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“We’re kind of spontaneous and we love coffee. The space came available and we always talked about doing a coffee shop,” Bacci said. “There’s nothing else similar in the neighbourhood, so it made sense.”

Alongside coffee, the 40-seat coffee shop serves pastries, sandwiches and soup, as well as local craft beer, wine and spirits from independent distillers. Including alcohol on its menu, as well as setting operating hours from 7 a.m. to midnight, BOB aims to serve as an alternative to traditional coffee shops. 

“There’s families in the neighbourhood, so there are parents with their kids. One of those parents is going to want to have a drink,” Bacci said. 

From 5 to 7 p.m., BOB will introduce “scavenger hour” menu pricing, where all food will be discounted by 70 per cent. 

“We’re not a dinner place, we’ll have people going home from work and maybe they’ll want to grab something quick,” Bacci said. “The choice is either discount the pastries or give them away. I’d rather just pass it on to the customer.”

Alongside its menu, BOB also offers a trove of vinyl records and a library of vintage board games. 

Bacci said he imported the board games idea from a friend’s business in Los Angeles that operates under a similar concept. 

“He’s been open for seven years and it’s packed all the time. That was kind of the inspiration,” Bacci said.

In an effort to build community within the coffee shop, BOB also hosts a book club. 

The coffee shop will curate four books a month, and post the selections on its website. 

“We don’t want to force it on anybody; we want it to grow naturally,” Bacci said. “It is just another element for the community to come here and hang out.”

Bacci’s long-term goal for BOB is to open 10 to 20 locations, varying in size, throughout Toronto. 

“We think we can add something to the city and not take away,” Bacci said.