TH E ART OF C OF F E E :
BALZAC’S COFFEE ROASTERS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
‘The story of my business is the story of coffee,’
floor, central harvest table, to the poster
notes Founder and President of Balzac’s Coffee
artwork created for this Guelph location.
Roasters, Diana Olsen. We are sitting at a
It’s been executed from the perspective of a
two-seater inside her Guelph location. It’s a
Balzac’s customer (tourist? Guelph resident?
favourite destination of mine: located at the
university student?) writing a postcard to
foot of downtown Guelph just across from
someone special. The cursive script on the
the farmers’ market to the east and Guelph’s
poster reads: ‘With love, for coffee, from
landmark basilica, the Church of Our Lady, to
the Royal City.’ The poster features local
the north. In the middle of it all. ‘Of course,’
landmarks. ‘I chose to include the Gryphon
I respond, while wondering how I’m going to
[a landmark sculpture located on the edge
focus this story on coffee when I’ve already
of campus at Gordon and Stone] because
planned to write about something else.
I absolutely adore it,’ Diana says. ‘And the
I know the coffee is great. Amazing, really. But I want to write about the posters – those distinct
beautiful church because it screams Guelph – and you can see it from this location.’
pieces of artwork created for each Balzac’s
‘After completing the poster, we actually tried
coffee shop, posters that help establish unique
to figure out how to perfect a latte art icon for
‘identities’ for every location while allowing the
the Guelph location – as a sort of signature,’
company’s overall aesthetic brand to remain
Diana says. Before me, on the table, waiting
consistent. And identifiable. Invoking the
to be enjoyed, is my freshly-brewed latte,
coffeehouses of nineteenth-century Paris.
inscribed in latte art with a crown representing
‘We’ll talk coffee, of course,’ I offer. ‘But first –
Guelph – the Royal City.
tell me about the posters.’ I’m looking across
Diana’s sense of history and place, along with
the beautifully-appointed space with its
her intricate attention to detail, runs through
massive wood counters, exquisitely-detailed
the Balzac’s business model. ‘I’ve always
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