On Feb. 24, Gerts Café made a glorious comeback in the University Centre. While Gerts Bar reopened its doors at the start of the Winter semester, its café counterpart was not ready to welcome students again until right before Winter Reading Week. Now open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the café provides a large selection of drinks and pastries, with breakfast and lunch options coming soon. The current menu is largely based on the café’s previous one, with modifications pertaining largely to pricing and the addition of gluten-free options.
Relocated to the first floor of the University Centre, Gerts Café also allows students to stop by for a quick study sesh in between classes. While seating is limited, it sits across from the SSMU lounge, allowing students to relax on nearby couches while enjoying a well-deserved coffee break.
Tali Ioselevich, Gerts Café manager, explained why they decided to change location from the basement to the main floor in an interview with The Tribune.
“One, you can’t enter Gerts Bar unless you’re over 18, so even if you wanted to just go and have a coffee and you’re 17 years old, you can’t enter that space,” Ioselevich said. “Also, the space constraints. Before, there was [preparation], serving, everything was happening in a very small location and now we’re using that space for the café just to do the prep and we’re doing all the service upstairs.”
Compared to nearby on- and off-campus options, Gerts Café remains competitive enough price-wise to attract a vast student clientele.
“When I was creating the menu and doing the pricing for it, I was really [determined] to have subsidized pricing because we’re part of the SSMU, we don’t have to pay for the space,” Ioselevich said. “I really wanted to make things as affordable as possible for students.”
According to Paul-Hugo Arcand, U2 Science and barista at Gerts Café, it is a good compromise.
“The prices are cheaper than basically all of the bougie/good coffee options (Dispatch, Second Cup, Humble Lion),” Arcand wrote in a statement to The Tribune. “I think the drinks are reasonably priced, though I’m not sure about the food. For the quality, the prices are excellent. However, if you really are on a budget and aren’t looking for such a nice sweet treat, you can’t beat the 75 cents General Store coffee.”
Kittel, a local Montreal roaster, provides the coffee beans, while Boulangerie Guillaume is responsible for the pastries.
Gerts Café has the chill and inviting atmosphere you’d expect from a local café in Montreal, offering a change of scenery from typical McGill buildings.
“Aesthetically, the vibe I was going for is very 70s, and I really like colorful geometrics [….] I wanted it to feel cozy and warm and welcoming,” Ioselevich said. “I want people when they come in to be greeted with a smile and to have a good time.”
And this seems to be working. For Arcand, working at Gerts Café is more than a regular student job.
“My daily coffee/tea is always a highlight in my day, so I’m glad I get the opportunity to make the day of my fellow members of the McGill community. It’s a win win,” he wrote to The Tribune. “I’m [also] getting better at making latte art, which is something I’ve always wanted to be able to do.”
Gerts Café is a nice stopping point for people on their way to and from class, a community space that attracts students from all faculties. In the long run, Ioselevich hopes that they will even be able to offer catering to different student groups.
