Balzac's Coffee

Inspired by the Grand Cafés of Paris, Balzac’s Coffee Roasters was brought to life by a burning ambition to bring that culture to the Great White North i.e. Canada. The company was founded in Stratford, Ontario in 1996, led by the entrepreneurial and artistic vision of one woman – Diana Olsen. As President and Founder, she continues to drive the company’s success with sharp business acumen, creativity, and a finger on the pulse of contemporary culture. Proudly Canadian, Balzac’s has 14 distinct and beloved locations across Ontario.

What distinguishes Balzac’s from the rest, aside from unrivalled roasts and formidable female leadership, is that every café is specifically designed to embody the cultural nuances and historical significance of the location it’s in. In doing so, each café has carved out a unique personality as a central gathering place for the locals to converse, share, ruminate and create. And the fact that all Balzac’s cafés have garnered quite the loyal following proves that providing a place for people to drink excellent coffee in the authentic French tradition has an appeal that can only be described as everlasting.

In the words of novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac - “the café is the people’s parliament,”