It has come to the attention of the Little Italy residents that one of their beloved coffee shop will be closing its doors on Jan.31st.
Coco’s Neighbourhood Coffee Shop, is a staple in the Little Italy neighbourhood known for its cozy ambience, birthday cakes, and breakfast sandwiches. .
The news of the cafe’s closure has left the community feeling shattered and heartbroken as it was a favourite amongst the locals.
It’s a space where connection and community are created through their events like storytime, now no longer taking place.
Although Coco’s owner Nicole Bilyea has been acknowledged to be nothing but a perfect tenant by the landlord, the decision to not renew the lease was pursued.
“Despite previous conversations in the months and weeks leading up telling us we had nothing to worry about, a week before our lease was up we were informed that his sister wants the space for herself to open a homeopathy clinic.” Bilyea said in an Instagram post, put out on Nov.10.
It’s speculated that the plan for opening up a homeopathy clinic was in the works for sometime, and it’s unfortunate news to many people since a lot has gone into making the cafe, making it what it is today.
In spite of how everything has come down, Bilyea is proud of everything and everyone who has poured their heart into Coco’s.
“We deeply appreciate and respect everyone on our staff and value our team immensely. Everyone has poured so much of themselves into creating the magic here.” Bilyea commented.
Bilyea hopes to open up something in the future, but for now, she will take her time to focus on the birth of her baby.
“Maybe someday after all this, after we have our baby, we’ll be able to start something up again,” Bilyea said.
With only two weeks left, Coco’s will continue to bring joy and make the most out of the remaining time. If you would like to show support to a local coffee shop, you can visit Coco’s Neighbourhood Coffee Shop at 668 College St.
Purspective 
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