PLACE: 1903, A HARLEY-DAVIDSON CAFÉ

LOCATION: 96 OSSINGTON STREET, TORONTO

MENU: CAFÉ  fueled by FARHENHEIT COFFEE

FEATURES: RETRO CAFÉ, JUMPSTART DEMO BIKE, VINTAGE WORKSHOP AREA, & LOUNGE

I had the opportunity to check out the launch of the new 1903 - HARLEY-DAVIDSON CAFE and let me say, I was insanely blown away. 

When I got the invite to the launch, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I mean, my HARLEY-DAVIDSON expertise consisted of my obsession for their vintage tees & when my dad decided to come home with a motorcycle & licence a decade back that nearly gave my mom a heart attack !? I immediately worried about how awkwardly out of place I'd feel in a space which I had no idea even looked like yet since there were no pre-existing images that I managed to find ! And then of course came the daunting question what am I supposed to wear ... The invite said "come as you are"?! Sometimes I do wear a ton of vintage tees + ripped denim, but sometimes I like soft flowy linen draped ensembles .... Which "me" should show up to this thing !?

So with all these unknowns swimming in my head I went to the event completely unprepared to be transported into the laid-back cool vibe of this retro café. 

When I finally got there, I was so surprised! The place was GINORMOUS. It's in the heart of the cutest neighbourhood of Trinity Bellwoods and this space is completely open to the public from front to back. Every step you take deeper into this space makes you never want to leave. 

You start out with their cozy, but insanely cool café area surrounded by HD bikes (some of which are even for sale), helmet hooks on the walls and the comfiest black leather seats. To top it off, they've sourced some of the most delicious coffee beans in the city (from FARHENHEIT COFFEE roasted by the one and only PILOT COFFEE) because hey, it's Harley-Davidson, they know what they're doing. 

I got to actually try a HARLEY DAVIDSON bike for the first time with the help of their JumpStart ride simulator, which allows people to feel what it's like to ride a Harley while the bike remains stationary!  Sadly, due to the fact I'm the biggest klutz, my ride-or-die moment led to a leeeetle (but quite serious) burn on my leg because I was wearing shorts and bare skin on a super hot motor pipe is NOT a good idea! Thankfully it was an open bar and I was able to nurse myself back to "health" with a couple of cold ones. 

If you're looking for a new cafe to hang out at this summer with some of the coolest vintage decor, and killer bikes, this is the place: