where our founder, Spiros Athanasoulis roasted his first batch of delicious coffee on a 25 lb batch roaster in his living room on Ossington Ave in Toronto.
As new immigrant to Canada, he had an idea to bring the "direct from the roaster" buying model to Toronto that was traditional in Europe at the time. The hope was that consumers would visit the Roastery and purchase bags of coffee for home.
What happened next was completely unexpected....
Cup by cup, a loyal customer base of local Toronto restauranteurs began to grow; before he knew it, Spiros had created one of the largest independent coffee roasters in Canada!
We roasted our first coffees on a tiny batch roaster; 25 pounds at a time. From our first batch to now, many things have changed. The equipment, the economy and the culture of coffee. But one thing that has remained consistent is our freshness guarantee.
"Fresh From Bean To Brew" may sound like a catchy tag line, but its more of a guideline for our business. If you've ever visited our Roastery, you may notice our warehouse isn't bursting with packaged coffee - that's because we rotate a fresh inventory. We believe there is NOTHING better than fresh coffee; and we take pride in sending our customers just that!
"When we chose the name, we knew it had to do more than sound good, it had to mean something."
You’ll find the word “works” in places like metalworks, woodworks, and ironworks—places where things are made with skill, precision, and pride... There’s a certain energy to that word.
It implies craft, tools, know-how, and a deep respect for process. That’s how we view our roastery. It’s not just a place where beans are roasted—it’s a place where expertise meets experimentation. A place where every detail matters, and nothing is accidental.
It also means the full spread. As in, "give me the works!" That’s our approach to coffee. We don’t limit ourselves to one style, audience, or niche—we do it all. From small-batch specialty lots to conventional blends. From flavoured coffees that bring fun to the cup, to brewing gear that helps people make better coffee at home or behind the bar. We supply homes, cafes, retailers and restaurants, and we treat each of them with the same level of care and craft.
Because to us, being coffee experts means we can speak every dialect of the language—and deliver the works.