As I am writing this piece, I’m sitting at the corner table at the Innis Cafe, sipping my perfectly pink strawberry blonde smoothie, and looking around at students typing away at their laptops with one hand on their keyboard and the other holding a sandwich. By June, this place will be unrecognisable. 

If you haven’t already heard, the Innis Cafe will be closing its window at Innis by June 15th, 2023. This is to accommodate the Innis College Renewal and Expansion project, an exciting new endeavour that has been in the works for almost six years now. The expansion project will completely transform the college, starting with the west wing and making its way to the rest of the building. Once completed, it will give students even more and even better spaces to do homework, meet friends, plan events, and read the Herald (not so subtle plug). It’s going to be great, and all of us are extremely excited about it… but change is always hard. To make way for the construction and the commotion that will start this summer, the entire west wing of the college will be closed off and inaccessible. This includes the ICSS and Herald offices, the commuter lounge, the rooftop terrace, the basement, some classrooms, and of course, our beloved Innis Cafe.

The Innis Cafe has been around for almost twenty three years now. That means they’ve been feeding hungry college students since before most of today’s hungry college students were born. Innis’ very own family-run restaurant is the only real place to get hot meals at Innis. At peak times, you can find a line of students and staff stretching out into the hallway, waiting excitedly for their paninis and burritos. Gunash, one of the owners of the cafe, is proud of how the menu has evolved and expanded over the years taking into account suggestions from students. 

Delicious food aside, the Innis Cafe is infinitely valuable to students because of the people who run the place, the Agars. Gunash Agar and her husband both have PhDs in Food Science and Technology, but more importantly, they have a passion for food and service. I remember coming to UofT, a somewhat disoriented international student in an entirely new city, and finding a warm, homely meal at the Innis Cafe. Now, I’m there almost every day for a coffee, a croissant, and a conversation. 

To students and staff alike, the Innis Cafe has been a hallmark of the college for years. They have catered an enormous number of Innis events (including the 2022 Orientation!) and have seen first years who went on to return as professors. The worst part? To return to the new Innis space in a few years, the Agars will have to bid and ‘prove their worth’ after all their years of service. The Cafe has been a constant in our lives, a pillar in an ever-chaotic and changing Innis. A 23-year-long relationship, broken. Innis has always had a unique personality: one of warmth, home, and comfort. It will be heartbreaking to see another overpriced chain restaurant or uncaring catering service replace the Cafe that staff and students so adore.

Suffice to say, Innis will not be the same without them.

“My experience with the Innis Café is as simple as delicious food and friendly service. I’ve been buying lunch from the Café since 2019, and immediately through small talk Gunash introduced herself and her Turkish background. I was curious about the Café since it appeared to be the only one on campus owned by the employees and rather than corporations like Starbucks, Pizza Pizza or the Second Cup’s Aegis Brands Inc. This year I also got to know the Café’s new Spanish-speaking part-time employees. We chat after my Spanish class and I get to try out new phrases. The Innis Café is one-of-a-kind on campus. After 20 years of impeccable service to students, staff and catering clients campus-wide, they have more than earned the right to continue their work on our campus. I hope readers will visit the Innis Café if they have not already!” – Jesse

“The Innis Café is truly a wonderful place. You can tell the staff cares about their customers and cares about everyone being well fed.” – Stella

“Day 3 of orientation, dead on my feet. The coffee that I ordered was my one and only hope of surviving that day. Seeing my desperation, they simply would not let me pay. Those of you who saw me at the end of that day can appreciate what a close thing that was. Thank you, Damon.” – Curtis

“My favourite memory of the cafe comes from last year. I just began my order with, “I’d like a coffee-” and the woman working at the counter turned around before I could specify what temperature or what amounts of cream/sugar I wanted. Somehow, she made me the best goddamn drink I’ve ever had, and it was somehow exactly what I was craving. True wizardry that I am very grateful for.” – Charlie

“I used to go to the cafe all the time last year. I still go when I can this year. They’re super nice people with great food. It’s so nice of them to keep track of people’s names, have little friendly conversations, and give free upgrades. Just going there is always a mood lifter :)” – Neruka

“Last year, I was lonely and anxious pretty much all the time. Often the biggest highlight of my day was the Innis Cafe staff during lunch time. They would also offer me extra things. Their soup+pastry combo is one of the best things I’ve had on campus.” – Cindy

We’re going to miss you. We’re really going to miss you.
As a community, we want to thank you for being a cozy fireplace in the winter storm of college life. We really hope that the Agars can return to the new and improved Innis in a few years. Until then we’re excited to see where the family goes, and promise to stop by for a smoothie and a Spanakopita.