Finch Espresso Bar 601 Upper James Street
To help promote I Heart Hamilton’s Playlist 3.0 (Fundraiser for Food4Kids) in June, I met with Gunner Smith to catch up and record an episode of In the Neighbourhood. The podcast is usually recorded with Matt Jelly and Dan Jelly (check out Jelly Brothers for their fantastic art as well) but for this episode Gunner was flying solo.
And fly we did – uptown to record at brand new coffee shop, Finch Espresso Bar. I’m always anxious to check out a new place, and it was appropriate that this first visit for me marked two months to the day since Finch’s open.
It’s a small but spacious space, with minimal decor so far, but nice accents like the finch artwork and bird-shaped bookshelf. There are a few wooden tables and chairs and an impressive spread of coffee makers and grinders along the front counter.
It was a hot day, so I went with an iced coffee – super refreshing! I wanted a snack to go with my drink, and after seeing the massive Oreo-style cookie in front of Gunner, I just had to get one too. It was no surprise to learn that this behemoth of a cookie was made by Cake & Loaf. Gunner and I joked that it was going to take the duration of our interview to finish this thing. I was feeling the caffeine and sugar rush after, let me tell you!
After my interview, Finch owner Jess Ramsay was next up on the show, and I got to sit in for that interview as well. This worked out perfectly – I got to learn all about the coffee shop. It was important for Jess to invest in uptown. Of course the Concession Street BIA has local restaurants and shops, but Jess found that this area in particular was in need of a local coffee shop. Since her open, there are lots of regulars already who are flocking to Finch.
Have a listen to the podcast below!
– Kristin
