Recently opened bakery Lóla Cakes and Coffee has already earned themselves a number of regulars with their numerous baked goods and creative menu items.

Located downtown on 136 Hunter Street, owner Nico Ante is looking to create a place of joy that people in the community can go and relax.

“People are curious, people who work downtown are here. It starts to build up as the day progresses and now, it is really really good,” said Ante. 

The shop had its grand opening on December 15^th of last year and has found an immense level of success over the past two months.

“[Peterborough] are very supportive and on the weekend, the last one, I got slammed. The first customer came in at about 9:15 and the last customer left at 5:30—so, to close,” Ante told Arthur. 

Ante offers special brunch menu events on the weekends which have brought in some favourable traffic. The special weekend menu offers additional items, such as avocado toast and french toast tiramisu.

The restaurant, which offers various spots to sit tucked in a cozy environment, sells a variety of items. Apart from many different coffees prepared hot and cold, they offer baked in-store goods such as ube cheesecake, croissants, garlic bread, and vanilla custard bread pudding.

Ante is always looking for ways to create new menu items as well, just introducing an espresso tiramisu iced latte.

Though he is a “chef-by-trade,” this is Ante’s first bakery. 

“This is the first time I’ve opened a cake and coffee shop. I got a private chef job down in Fraiserville after moving here last June from Toronto, so going around and getting dinner at the many restaurants downtown, you want to have a dessert or coffee,” he told Arthur. “I just filled in that market gap.”

This is the exact scenario that Trent student Megan Trim was in when she first visited Lóla’s. 

“Many students are downtown at night for the clubs without realizing the shops and stories that are open during the day like this one,” said Trim. 

“I was shopping and had a lunch and that was the plan, but then I wanted something sweet after lunch and then I saw this new coffee place and stopped in for some cheesecake.”

Since the new year, Trim has visited Lóla’s more weeks than not. She recommends it to her friends and even her professors.

“I have a hard time connecting with my profs, but I love Lóla’s so much that I actually had to tell my teacher to try it,” said Trim. “They had asked the class for local recommendations to be fair, but I will take any chance to share around this place.”

Trim also said that it is her favourite spot to catch up on home. “Just this past week I had a (take home) exam that I probably could have started a little sooner, but it makes it easier to grab one of my favourite coffees and like, lock into it.”

Ante welcomes students to come in and take as much time as they need to relax or get through some work. For those who aren't in school and just want to relax, he keeps papers by the front, including Arthur. He notices students coming in just to relax, opting to read the paper over stressful assignments.

Whether you are stopping in for a coffee to get you through some homework or stopping by to read a copy of Arthur’s latest issue, Lóla Cakes and Coffee is gearing up to become a staple of the downtown Peterborough community.