Air Canada Opens Bistro-Style Coffee Shop at Pearson

Air Canada’s premium customers flying domestically have a new outlet for food and drink at Toronto Pearson’s Terminal 1 with today’s (Sept. 6) opening of the Air Canada Café.

Conveniently located in the domestic gate area, the café offers customers a wide selection of specialty beverages and snacks that can be taken with them and consumed later or enjoyed in the relaxed, bistro-type setting, which also offers free WiFi.

“This is a brand new concept for us,” said Mats Winter, director, Product Design – Airports and Inflight, for Air Canada. “It’s the first time in North America that an airline has opened up a coffee shop.”

He added that the focus of the comfortably designed café is all about speed and convenience with customers encouraged to “grab and go” if they so choose.

Passengers will be able to visit the Barista Station for freshly squeezed orange juice, a wide selection of Lavazza Coffee, cold brew mocktails, specialty hot drinks or Lavazza Cold Brew. A self-serve station offers Greenhouse Juice products such as kombuchas and a variety of organic, cold-press juices available in individual-size bottles, coffee, tea, flavoured waters, soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages. Other items such as Lindt truffle chocolates, OKA fine cheese and Gouter premium pastries are also offered.

“We are thrilled to unveil this innovative product, one we are sure will create buzz not only for our customers, but the entire industry. Air Canada’s premium clientele will have access to this new café, revolutionizing the coffee shop experience at Toronto Pearson. It will offer a wide selection of beverages and food that can be taken to go,” said Andrew Yiu, vice-president, Product, at Air Canada.

Before 11 a.m., passengers are able to enjoy a selection of breakfast foods such as yogurt, fresh fruits and pastries. After 11 a.m., the café offers an assortment of freshly prepared salads, sandwiches, cheeses and more. Along with the complimentary WiFi, guests have access to digital newspapers and magazines in partnership with PressReader, which makes the content of more than 7,000 newspapers and magazines in 60 languages available.

Featured in the café is a large mural by Canadian artist Shawn Evans of the places he has lived and travelled.

The Air Canada Café officially opens today (Sept. 6) and complements existing Maple Leaf Lounges at Toronto Pearson International Airport. It is located at gate D20 and is open all day seven days a week. It offers comfortable seating for 109 customers, power and USB ports, washrooms and a customer service desk staffed by Premium Agents.

While this is a first for Air Canada, Winter said it’s possible similar cafés could open in Montreal and Vancouver in the future.

Winter is pictured third from left in the top ribbon cutting picture, with Yiu on his right.

A video tour of the new Air Canada Café is available at https://vimeo.com/356452863.