The SPACE where Juniper Cafe was born
Located in what was once Morton’s Brewery & Distillery, the Juniper Café is tucked behind the Tett Centre for Creativity & Learning historical building at the waterfront side on the lower level. The brewery, established in 1832, expands into a distillery in 1844. During that period, the HMCS St. Lawrence, a warship that served in the war of 1812, was docked at the site and used as a storage facility by the distillery owner. The ship sat so long, it became dysfunctional and eventually sank 30 feet below. Today, it has become a popular diver’s attraction right next door to us.
Following its use as The Sydenham Military Hospital between 1918-23 and then as a military headquarters, the Morton building was finally purchased by the city of Kingston in ‘71. The City of Kingston renovated and repurposed the facility into an arts hub, naming it after its visionary, J.K.Tett.
When the Morton building was completely renovated in 2015, the community decided that the building would benefit from a small café. So, they chose the best spot in the building right off the patio to build this space. Little did they know the incredible draw this little café would eventually bring. Today, the size of our space is one of our biggest challenges – it is extremely small to operate out of and quickly runs at capacity thanks to the love and support we get from our local community. This is why our menu is kept simple and seats are limited. We have simply learnt to embrace its cozy feel. This is what lead to the opening of our 2nd location in 2023.
Jamie Hodges & Amber Thom founded the Juniper Café in 2016, offering house made sandwiches, soup, salads & baked goods (much the same as what we serve now). Their concept of farm-to-table was well received by the community. Our goal was to maintain that as best we could because we believed in this concept fully.
Under ‘New’ OWNERship 2019
Much like many of the cafe’s guests, I fell in love with the space and concept the moment I stepped into it. Beyond its cozy feel, the smell of baked goods, bacon or garlic cooking, or that killer view of Lake Ontario, the restaurant stood for everything I believed in – great food & quality drinks surrounded by an amazing and supportive community, one that I can continue to build & foster.
I grew up with very little material things and a whole lot of culture. I had the privilege of meeting extraordinary people & visiting unique places from my childhood onward. Born in Toronto by an Armenian father and a French-Canadian mother, there was no lack of 2nd generation immigrant challenges coupled with discipline surrounded by house chores & after school cultural activities keeping us busy. Our weekends consisted of driving in and around the city to find the best breads, butcher shops, cheeses & produce followed by cooking feasts and BBQs.
Among the various Toronto markets & street vendors, drives to St-Jacobs market & St-Catherine’s region during peach season, my most vivid (perhaps traumatizing) memory were the visits to the auction barn at Stouffville Flea market when we’d come home with some type of live animal my father was going to butcher as we planned for another big gathering/feast at our home that would last the better part of the next day. Amongst the huge bag of potatoes, carrots, apples & onions, there’d be chickens, maybe bunnies, and one time, we came home with a sheep in the back seat of my father’s Hornet. I was sitting in between my parents in the front row thinking – ‘really? On my favorite blanket? Sigh…”
Needless to say, the rough patches of our childhood were enveloped by tables in every home we visited (including ours) covered with traditional wholesome foods, interesting and loving people (many of whom were like family and later on I realized some of the best cooks who put food on my plate) and a culture so rich that it defined us. We lived to put food on the table. We grew it, harvested it, prepared, cooked and ate lots of it. We traveled with a filled Coleman cooler in the trunk of our car everywhere we went. We didn’t go to restaurants – just markets & every grocery store that excelled in great produce at the right price. From our Armenian community in Toronto, to the ones in Los Angeles & Fresno California, and through visits to Armenia, I developed a deep understanding and appreciation for great tasting food & culture.
Following 23 + adventurous and growing years in the Canadian military, my encounters around the table of interesting people & conversations continued. At this point, it was less about the food and more about the stimulating conversations – a place of growth if you wanted it to be.
At the age of 40, transforming life events forced me to revaluate my path. It was time to let go of chasing a career path that was no longer serving me or making me grow into my best self. I had an urge to pursue taking the lead in an environment that gave me, and those around me, joy. I wanted to re-create the environment of community around the table, good food, great conversation, in a welcoming and comfortable space, with the idea that I was going to contribute to my community in the best way I could. Today, my journey has transformed into creating spaces that make people feel good. More importantly, I am leading an amazing team that continues to keep me in check every moment of the day.
Together, our mission at the Juniper is to provide beautiful and welcoming spaces that foster idea sharing, creativity and growth through great food & coffee. We do this through the guidance of 3 pillars that impact how we make decisions as a team every single day:
Quality - Sustainability - Community
Raissa – Owner & Operator
