Skip to content

Monday Morning "MUG"ing: A coffee shop dream come true (5 photos)

THUNDER BAY -- It’s not often that road-trip-conversations turn into reality, but that’s how Alan Forbes and Gary Mack came to Bay Village Coffee.

The married couple were on a road trip to Minneapolis a few months ago when they started talking about coffee, and that led to detailed discussions about what their dream coffee shop would be like. By the time they reached their destination, they had a whole new cafe mapped out in their heads.

The two didn’t think much of their brainstorming session at the time, but shortly after, the casino where Forbes had worked at for the last 18 years underwent a change of ownership.

“There was a buyout offer, and I wasn’t sure what to do; should I do it, should I not do it, and then we found out this place was for sale, and suddenly it all came together. It was the right timing, the right opportunity,” Forbes explains.

“We were looking for something that we could do together that was different,” adds Mack. “We love entertaining, and we have big parties at our house, our house is a hub for family celebrations, and we love food, so this really felt like a natural move.”

They took over on June 1 and spent a busy week renovating. The purple and yellow exterior was tidied up into black and white, and the interior was also given a makeover; replacing the colourful mismatched vintage look with a cleaner simple aesthetic.

Getting ready for their soft opening, there were moments when they got nervous, but they realized, “it’s just like having a party. Only it’s every day.”

Mack’s career has always been in social work (until September 2017, he was executive director at Shelter House) and he still has a full-time job in the field in addition to doing all of the baking for Bay Village Coffee.

There are fresh hot muffins every morning when they open, and they serve soup and sandwiches for lunch. They get their coffee from Rose N Crantz, collaborate with local bakers for gluten-free options and are working with gardeners to compost their waste.

“We’ll just keep expanding as we’re able to take on more,” Mack says.




Comments

Current Weather

Light Rainshower

Light Rainshower

13.6°C

Pressure
101.9 rising
Visibility
16.1 km
Dewpoint
12.2 °C
Humidity
91%
Wind
SW 6 km/h

Radar Satellite


Hourly Forecast

Today
3 AM
14°C
A few showers. Risk of thunderstorms
Today
4 AM
14°C
A few showers. Risk of thunderstorms
Today
5 AM
14°C
A few showers. Risk of thunderstorms
Today
6 AM
14°C
Chance of showers. Risk of thunderstorms
Today
7 AM
13°C
Chance of showers. Risk of thunderstorms
Today
8 AM
13°C
Chance of showers. Risk of thunderstorms
Today
9 AM
13°C
Chance of showers. Risk of thunderstorms
Today
10 AM
13°C
Chance of showers. Risk of thunderstorms
Today
11 AM
13°C
Chance of showers. Risk of thunderstorms
Today
12 PM
14°C
Chance of showers. Risk of thunderstorms
Today
1 PM
14°C
Chance of showers. Risk of thunderstorms
Today
2 PM
15°C
Chance of showers. Risk of thunderstorms

7 Day Forecast

A few showers

Tonight

13 °C

Showers with risk of a thunderstorm. Low 13.


Chance of showers

Tuesday

17 °C

A mix of sun and cloud with 60 percent chance of showers and risk of a thunderstorm. High 17.


Clearing

Tuesday night

10 °C

Clearing after midnight. Low 10.


Sunny

Wednesday

23 °C

Sunny. High 23.


Clear

Wednesday night

11 °C

Clear. Low 11.


Sunny

Thursday

23 °C

Sunny. High 23.


Cloudy periods

Thursday night

14 °C

Cloudy periods. Low 14.


Cloudy

Friday

21 °C

Cloudy. High 21.


Chance of showers

Friday night

14 °C

Cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. Low 14.


Chance of showers

Saturday

21 °C

Cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. High 21.


Chance of showers

Saturday night

13 °C

Cloudy periods with 40 percent chance of showers. Low 13.


Chance of showers

Sunday

25 °C

A mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of showers. High 25.


Normals

Low
11 °C
High
24 °C

Sunrise and Sunset

Sunrise
6:05 AM
Sunset
9:59 PM

Based on Environment Canada data

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks