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Edmonton's coffee shops are a hidden gem

Edmonton’s mall vibes are something else — this really is a one-mall town, and everyone knows which one. West Edmonton Mall doesn’t just eclipse the rest, it leaves every other mall in Canada in the dust. Pirate ship, roller coaster, waterpark, bronze whale, the whole deal. Call it West Ed, or just say "the mall" - everyone will know which mall you're talking about. WEM even inspired its own art show in 2023 (from which we have a map of WEM mall memories available here!). WEM is pretty much legend, and everyone will have a story about it.

Why are Edmonton's coffee shops so rad? Let us count the ways.

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada has a lot of truly great indie coffee shops. They're a hidden gem. This fact is not always obvious at first — and the realization usually goes a little something like this:

The indie Edmonton coffee shops you visit feel inviting, cozy, and chill. You spend time among plants, relaxing with your coffee and a book. The music is good, the vibes are immaculate. You catch up with a friend, gabbing away over a coffee and a tasty snack. Or, you sit by yourself. You might bump into people you know. It's an accidental hangout, even if you have a plan for the your time there. You do this often, and you love it. Great coffee shops are a destination, and a mood.

After you've gotten used to this, you go visit other, shinier cities. And the coffee shops there feel…colder somehow. You realize, mid-eavesdrop (as one does in a coffee shop), that people aren’t really chilling — they’re...wait, what, they're aggressively networking instead?! The indie spots you find in other cities feel a bit like Starbucks clones with fancier lighting. The spaces aren’t as inviting. The vibes just aren’t there.

That’s when it hits you: you can’t wait to get back to your favourite Edmonton locals. And now you’ll never walk into one of Edmonton’s many warm, welcoming coffee shops again without noticing the special vibes. It's the Edmonton effect - what is this, a shred of Montréal's joie de vivre? Is it the baristas who never forget your drink? The spaces themselves, often modern but cozy and full of character? Is it the sandwiches? Is it the fellow customers, who bring the same vibe you do? You choose! Whatever it is, Edmonton's coffee shops are pretty dang special — and you should love ’em if you don’t already!

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