MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Summer 2019

21 It’s a sunny and clear morning on the main street of Thornbury as I pull up to Good Grief Coffee Roasters. The window-paned door is rolled up to the ceiling and a row of funky pink chairs line the sidewalk for those wanting to drink their Americano in the crisp sunshine. Jesse Keast and his business partner Alix Haddy opened the doors to Good Grief Coffee Roasters just over a week before I swing by. Jesse suggests I come early so there’s time to talk; Thornbury is a slightly sleepy town and the mornings tend to be quieter, before the social and freelance crowd rolls in.We chat on and off as a steady stream of customers places their orders, asking questions about the unique décor, the coffee roasts and the building itself. There’s something special about Good Grief, and it’s hard to put your finger on it. Maybe it’s the pink retro tile, the open air feel, the smell of on-site roasted coffee or the counter full of fresh pastries (the donuts reached legendary status in mere days); or maybe it’s the welcoming vibe from Jesse and Alix.Whatever it is, walking into Good Grief serves up a little slice of joy you didn’t even know you needed. My first question: why the name Good Grief? “We didn’t want to take ourselves too seriously and we wanted something memorable,” Jesse Keast explains. “I always remember my grandma using that expression. It was something I just kept coming back to because it put a smile on my face. And then it sort of morphed into something more than that. We started hearing people say, ‘Oh, another coffee shop…’ We thought their expression might echo my grandma’s: ‘Good grief—another coffee shop in town’. It just kind of took on a life of its own.” Good Grief greets you with bright colours, wide open space and a blend of old and new that makes you feel at home. “We wanted a space that was inviting for all ages, we wanted to make it fun.We wanted to be a space that was welcoming without that air of intimidating coffee snobs,” says Keast. “We wanted it to be a place that you can spend hours hanging out with friends or having a meeting; a multi-purpose space for the community.” It’s refreshing to see two young entrepreneurs open up shop on the main street of Thornbury. Jesse grew up in Thornbury, moved away and found himself wanting to come back, while Alix grew up in Sudbury, lived in Toronto and moved to Collingwood when her partner opened Gibson and Company Cafe/Bar. Keast’s original vision was to play the roasting role only, but as they looked at industrial spaces to rent, they realized that a storefront to sell the coffee they roasted would be just as practical in the end. Why roast? “The more I learned about coffee the more I realized there was so much more to learn. For me, it’s the ultimate control over what coffee we serve.” – Allison Kennedy Davies @goodgriefcoffee GOOD GRIEF Not Just Another Coffee Shop Jesse Keast and Alix Haddy in their “multi-purpose space for the community.” ALLISON KENNEDY DAVIES UPFRONT