Latest news with #KickingHorseCoffee
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Canadian coffee shops are renaming Americanos to ‘Canadianos'
Some coffee shops in Canada have people perking up — and it's not because of all the caffeine. Barista Magazine first reported that Kicking Horse Coffee, a roastery and café in British Columbia, Canada, posted a call to action to other coffee shops on Instagram Feb. 6 regarding Americanos, the popular café staple made by pouring hot water over espresso. 'For 16 years, the Kicking Horse Café has been quietly calling Americanos 'Canadianos,'' read the now-deleted post. 'Today, we're officially making it a thing and asking coffee shops across the country to make the switch. Join us. Call them Canadianos.' Kicking Horse Coffee did not immediately respond to request for comment. The post comes amid President Donald Trump's proposed 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico, which would go into effect March 4. The commander in chief has also stated that he wants Canada to become the 51st state — an idea most Canadians have opposed. Kicking Horse's symbolic renaming of the drink that originated during World War II to appease American soldiers stationed in Italy has caught on at other coffee shops across Canada. 'I was worried that we were going to maybe attract the wrong clientele, people who were going to get very offended,' William Oliveira, owner of Cafe Belém in Toronto, tells Oliveira says news of the tariffs was fresh on people's minds when he quietly changed the name on his menu a little over two weeks ago. 'A lot of people were very gung-ho about it, standing up for being a Canadian at this time,' he says, adding that the response from his customers has been mostly positive and that the prevailing mood is that Canadians don't want to 'let people believe that we're people that can just be pushed around.' Palisades Cafe in British Columbia has also followed suit, and its owner says that Trump's policies had the effect of unifying the country. 'There are aspects of what Trump is doing that have done Canada a service in bringing unity,' Elizabeth Watson tells Watson says the name change stirred up a lot of discussion within the café — something she wasn't anticipating initially. She thinks that's a net positive. 'I just love our push on Canadian pride right now, which I think is great regardless of what's going on globally,' she says. It's not just Watson's and Oliviera's shops: Morning Owl in Ottawa, Le Petit Pain in Toronto and more have followed suit. The symbolic name change calls to mind when some American restaurant owners changed 'french fries' to 'freedom fries' on their menus to protest France's opposition to the United States' 2003 invasion of Iraq. As another example of this phenomenon: During World War I and later due to anti-German sentiment in the 1920s, sauerkraut was marketed in the States as 'liberty cabbage.' Oliviera says that, should the tariffs go into effect, the consequences are going to be 'traumatic and severe.' 'I was having a conversation with someone who was asking me, 'What kind of things do you import from the U.S. that are going to be affected by this?' and my response was, 'Quite simply, it doesn't really matter.' 'When so many industries and so many people are going to be affected in so many ways, it doesn't matter if I import something directly from the U.S. or not — I'm going to be affected.' This article was originally published on
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canadian Coffee Shops Protest Trump Threats With This Witty Menu Change
A number of coffee shops in Canada are serving 'Canadianos' to their customers in protest of U.S. President Donald Trump's attacks toward their country. The Canadian-themed name change is a play on the 'Americano,' or an espresso shot diluted with hot water, and the tweak has popped up on cafe menus in British Columbia and Ontario. 'We aren't necessarily aiming to be political. But we love the idea of really just supporting Canadian pride,' said Elizabeth Watson, owner of Palisades Cafe in British Columbia, in an interview with The Washington Post. Watson told The Post that the new name came to her after British Columbia-based Kicking Horse Coffee encouraged coffee shops to make the switch in a social media post earlier this month. The company, which wrote that it's 'quietly' been calling the drink 'Canadianos' for 16 years, shared a photo of a sign about the newly-named menu item and declared that the cafe was 'officially making it a thing.' Kicking Horse Coffee's announcement has since been deleted, however, the company has since shared posts toutingits Canadian roots. The 'Canadianos' arrive as Trump has continued to hurl his '51st state' as well as his 'governor' attacks toward Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. On Monday, the U.S. president signaled that his delayed plans to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican goods will go into effect starting next week. Watson, who said she'd be 'happy to stick' with the new name for now, said the tweak has sparked more interest in the drink. Cafe Belém owner William Oliveira told The Post that his Toronto-based shop, which renamed Americanos to 'Canadianos' on its menu, wanted to 'stand up for being ourselves and reminding other people ... that we're not to be pushed around and bullied by others.' Todd Simpson, owner of Morning Owl in Ottawa, also renamed the drink to 'make light of a serious situation.' 'We don't need any American products right now,' he told CTV News. 'It seems like a really good way to say we're Canadian.' Other Canadian establishments have used their food and drink offerings to protest Trump's moves, as well. Earlier this month, Montreal's Fairmount Bagel introduced red-and-white 'Canadian bagels,' Montreal-based newspaper The Gazette noted. Rhonda Shlafman, the shop's co-owner, told The Gazette's Bill Brownstein that the store 'had to take a stand like so many others in the food trade.' 'Our bagels, like our country, can't be taken over by U.S. interests,' she said. 'Just ask all the American tourists who've been coming here for years, so in love with our bagels. Our bagels are Canada strong, the best anywhere.' Carol Ann McDevitt, owner of the Roaring '20s B&B in the province of New Brunswick, told The Canadian Press that it would be serving local apple cider to guests at its bed and breakfast instead of glasses of orange juice. 'It just seemed very unfair. It was unprovoked, and we should do what we can to support our local communities,' said McDevitt, who pointed to most oranges stemming from Florida and some guests praising the new drink. 'Put A Sock In It': Canadian Lawmaker Tears Apart Trump Over His Zelenskyy Attacks Canadian Anthem Singer Protests Trump By Changing Lyric At 4 Nations Face-Off Title Game Canada Beats US Hockey In Thrilling OT Win In 4 Nations Face-Off Championship Game
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Coffee shops renaming Americanos ‘Canadianos' in protest at Trump tariffs
Several coffee shops in Canada have renamed their Americanos in protest at Donald Trump's tariffs on the U.S.'s neighbor to the North. Despite most coffee shop owners wanting to remain apolitical, the trend of renaming the popular drink – made up of an espresso shot and water – to the more appropriate 'Canadiano' has taken hold across the country. Shortly after returning to office, Trump threatened to hit Canada and Mexico – two of America's biggest trading partners – with exorbitant 25 percent import tariffs, later imposing a one month delay. On Monday the president reaffirmed that the tariffs would start next month as planned, despite multiple warnings that they could potentially hurt economic growth and worsen inflation. The 'Canadiano' revolution began with a since-deleted Instagram post from British Columbia-based coffee company Kicking Horse Coffee, which urged shops to change the names of their drinks to something more patriotic. Kicking Horse's cafe menu lists a 'Canadiano' and has done for 16 years, according to the company. 'We're officially making it a thing and asking coffee shops across the country to make the switch,' the post said, per The Washington Post. However, the social media post prompted some backlash, with X users calling for a boycott of Kicking Horse – though not before other coffee shops caught wind. Cafe Belém, in Toronto, Ontario, has now taken up selling newly rebranded 'Canadianos.' The shop's owner, William Oliveira, told the Post he does not want his shop to be a 'political place' but that showing support for Canada is important currently, even in small ways. 'It's good for us to just, you know, stand up for being ourselves and reminding other people … that we're not to be pushed around and bullied by others,' he told the outlet. Elizabeth Watson, owner of Palisades Cafe in British Columbia, said she had made the change in her own cafe after a customer sent the shop the Kicking Horse social media post, which she thought was 'bold and brave.' 'We aren't necessarily aiming to be political,' Watson told The Post. 'But we love the idea of really just supporting Canadian pride.' She added that, while the signage for 'Canadianos' is currently a temporary fix (a piece of paper), she would not be opposed to making it a permanent thing. Oliveira agrees. 'It's definitely me saying, 'Hey, just in case anybody was wondering, this is where we stand on that subject: We are pro-Canadian,'' he said. The caffeine-based protests are not the only ones being carried out in Canada. Hockey fans recently booed the American national anthem at games, and entrepreneurs have developed apps that identify products made in Canada.
The Independent
26-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Coffee shops renaming Americanos ‘Canadianos' in protest at Trump tariffs
Canada have renamed their Americanos in protest at Donald Trump 's tariffs on the U.S.'s neighbor to the North. Despite most coffee shop owners wanting to remain apolitical, the trend of renaming the popular drink – made up of an espresso shot and water – to the more appropriate 'Canadiano' has taken hold across the country. Shortly after returning to office, Trump threatened to hit Canada and Mexico – two of America's biggest trading partners – with exorbitant 25 percent import tariffs, later imposing a one month delay. On Monday the president reaffirmed that the tariffs would start next month as planned, despite multiple warnings that they could potentially hurt economic growth and worsen inflation. The 'Canadiano' revolution began with a since-deleted Instagram post from British Columbia-based coffee company Kicking Horse Coffee, which urged shops to change the names of their drinks to something more patriotic. Kicking Horse's cafe menu lists a 'Canadiano' and has done for 16 years, according to the company. 'We're officially making it a thing and asking coffee shops across the country to make the switch,' the post said, per The Washington Post. However, the social media post prompted some backlash, with X users calling for a boycott of Kicking Horse – though not before other coffee shops caught wind. Cafe Belém, in Toronto, Ontario, has now taken up selling newly rebranded 'Canadianos.' The shop's owner, William Oliveira, told the Post he does not want his shop to be a 'political place' but that showing support for Canada is important currently, even in small ways. 'It's good for us to just, you know, stand up for being ourselves and reminding other people … that we're not to be pushed around and bullied by others,' he told the outlet. Elizabeth Watson, owner of Palisades Cafe in British Columbia, said she had made the change in her own cafe after a customer sent the shop the Kicking Horse social media post, which she thought was 'bold and brave.' 'We aren't necessarily aiming to be political,' Watson told The Post. 'But we love the idea of really just supporting Canadian pride.' She added that, while the signage for 'Canadianos' is currently a temporary fix (a piece of paper), she would not be opposed to making it a permanent thing. Oliveira agrees. 'It's definitely me saying, 'Hey, just in case anybody was wondering, this is where we stand on that subject: We are pro-Canadian,'' he said. The caffeine-based protests are not the only ones being carried out in Canada. Hockey fans recently booed the American national anthem at games, and entrepreneurs have developed apps that identify products made in Canada.
