To showcase some of the amazing vendors from this summer’s #FrontStreetFoods by Union Station, Shedoesthecity presents our Meet The Makers series. In our fourth installment, we talked to Mitchell Stern of Station Cold Brew:

Where did your company idea originate?

Station was born after seeing a few packaged cold brew products in the US. Specifically, it was inspired by Grady’s Cold Brew in Brooklyn, NY. Toronto has an amazing coffee culture, and we’re the first independent to bring cold brew to TO.

The company is really three guys (Steve Ballantyne, Mike Roy and Mitchell Stern) each with unique skill sets that together could make Station Cold Brew happen.

What do you love most about your business?

The opportunity to introduce a new product to Torontonians. Not a lot of people have tried Cold Brew Coffee before and being the ones to introduce it is an amazing feeling.

What’s the easiest way to describe your food?

All natural, low acidity and less bitter Cold Coffee.

What is your brand all about?

Station represents the fuel that you need to get you through your day. Whether you are a downtown banker, a personal trainer or a musician, Station will keep you going.

Please share/list some menu highlights that you will be serving this summer at Front Street Foods.

Aside from our cold brew, we’ve got our awesome cookies – one of which is infused with cold brew and gluten-free.

We also have two exclusive drinks only available at Front Street Foods – the New Orleans Style Cold Brew, which is our take on a latte – it’s our coffee concentrate mixed with Rolling Meadow grass-fed whole milk and house-made chicory syrup. The other is our Cold Brew and Tonic, which is our concentrate mixed with Cava’s (also at the market) house made tonic syrup and topped with sparkling soda.

When someone says “summertime food,” what do you think of?

COLD BREW COFFEE, OF COURSE!

Can you share with us one of your kitchen rules?

Of course it’s important for us to taste every single batch to ensure consistency in the product. That means we’re usually pretty high energy =)

Favourite summertime drink?

Cold Brew Tonic! Delicious, refreshing and bubbly. Find ours exclusively at the Front Street Foods Market.

Current life motto:

“Fuel Up.”

What’s on your summer bucket list?

To keep people caffeinated with all-natural Station at WayHome Music Festival. We know it’s going to be needed!

Anything else you’d like us to know about you? Include anything from your craziest market experience to a customer story.

The best part so far about the Market is that in less than a week we’ve got some serious regulars. People love Station and it’s great for us to have a semi-permanent retail home. We’re in over 40 locations around the city but having the opportunity to have amazing conversations with our customers is something we love to do.

What excites you most about the market?

This is actually our first retail store (we sell our cold brews to 48 retailers around Toronto – most recently at Whole Foods). It’s been really great to have the opportunity to introduce the product and interact with customers directly.

Front Street Foods is open all summer long (Monday to Friday from 7am-9pm, Saturday 11am-9pm and Sunday 11am – 6:30pm). Be sure to stop by Station Cold Brew for a Cold Brew Tonic!