When Max Lamontagne walked into his favourite coffee shop in Ottawa one day, a new passion started to brew.
He was studying sciences in the capital when he realized his interests lay elsewhere. So, he began reading books about all things coffee.
“I made it like a school project,” he said.
The Hearst native, whose first language is French, eventually moved to Orillia and took jobs translating for the OPP and honing his barista skills at Mark IV Brothers on Nottawasaga Street.
His goal was to start his own coffee shop, and he finally made it happen. On Friday, Lamontagne opened The Lone Wolf Café at 10 Matchedash St. S.
“I’ve had this dream for a long time,” he said.
Starting a business during a global pandemic can be risky, but Lamontagne has had no shortage of support.
Sarah Moleme, who owns the neighbouring Sarahannedipity, is letting him use her basement for storage. Rustica Pizza Vino owners Jenna and Dan French have given him some advice on running a small business downtown.
David and Beth Shaw, who run Makers Market, donated the large, wood-framed board Lamontagne is using to display his menu. Nearby realtor Kaleb Streeter produced a professional video to help promote the new business.
Then, there’s James Kim, Lamontagne’s former boss at Mark IV Brothers. Kim knew of Lamontagne’s desire to open his own café. Even though Lamontagne told him he wouldn’t open a similar business in town out of respect for his boss, it was Kim who encouraged him to take the leap when the Matchedash Street location became available.
“James has been a tremendous help,” he said. “He filled in gaps for me on (aspects of the business) I was unfamiliar with.”
All of that assistance has proven to Lamontagne that, especially at a time when many small businesses are struggling, “community over competition is what it’s all about.”
The community seems to be buying into it, too. Business was “crazy” on Day 1, he said.
“There were people here at 7:30, which is great,” he said, adding he didn’t open until 8 a.m. “I was really touched by the support.”
His goal is for The Lone Wolf Café — a name inspired by the nickname Lamontagne’s mother used to call him, “petit loup,” or “little wolf” — is for it to be “a friendly place where you can have good coffee.”
“Coffee sometimes has a snobbish vibe to it,” he said. “I realized, working at Mark IV, that it’s about the service first, the community first.”
He uses coffee from two roasters — Rosso Coffee Roasters in Calgary and Detour Coffee Roasters in Hamilton.
“They’re two of the top roasters in Canada,” he explained, “and I want to support local or, at least, Canada.”
In the spirit of local, he uses Kawartha Dairy milk and features work from local artists on his walls. He invites artists who are interested in having their work displayed at The Lone Wolf Café to contact him via Instagram.
Lamontagne also prides himself on being as environmentally friendly as possible. Part of that effort includes using compostable cups and lids.
“We’re just trying to limit our (environmental) footprint,” he said.
For those who aren’t sure what to order when they walk in, Lamontagne has them covered. Frank, a wooden figure on the wall beside the menu, offers “Frank’s pick” for the day. Friday’s suggestion was the Costa Rican flat white.
The Lone Wolf Café is open for takeout only for the moment. Lamontagne hopes to welcome people to take a seat inside soon. A patio is also on the way.
The café is open Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There’s still a chance for customers to get a free coffee, or even free coffee for a month, as part of a contest in partnership with Streeter. The video the realtor created for the café is on his Instagram. The first 50 people who go to the café and say they watched the video will get a free drink and will be entered in a draw for free drinks for a month.
