Downtown Edmonton cafe recognized as one of Canada's best places to get a cup of coffee

National attention for Edmonton coffee shop Coffee Bureau in downtown Edmonton was named one of Canada’s top five coffee shops. Marek Tkach has more.

Edmonton's Coffee Bureau has been named one of the top five coffee shops in Canada according to Yelp reviews.

Earlier this month, business review site Yelp.com released its list of top coffee shops in the country for 2022, with Coffee Bureau garnering the fifth spot overall out of 25.

"If you're looking for a simple 'Cuppa Joe' to-go, the Coffee Bureau is definitely where you want to be," the Yelp piece said. "This Edmonton staple is beloved for its cozy interior and cute, quirky decor."

Co-owner Peter West told CTV News Edmonton that he found out after receiving an Instagram message.

"We get these things fairly often, like little mentions and shoutouts," West said. "Yelp stood out because, you know, it's kind of a big deal.

"It's nice to be recognized when ratings and reviews are the metrics," he added.

According to Yelp, the rankings were determined based on retail locations in the coffee shop category on their site and ranked them using factors like the ratings given on reviews and the total volume of reviews received.

Open for close to eight years on Jasper Avenue and 105 Street, many regulars aren't surprised by the recognition.

"They're careful with what they do," said John Cotter. "They take pride in what they do, and it's just a friendly, low-key place."

For customer Nicole Wong, the positivity employees radiate sets the shop apart.

"I'd say the atmosphere is really lively, but also cozy at the same time," Wong said. "The people who work here are super friendly. Everyone always just seems so happy when they're here."

West says the key to success is consistency when it comes to making drinks and preparing food.

"Our unfair advantage is our consistency, our quality," he added. "It's me, my brother, my wife and Daria, who's our great part-timer, and really it's been the same since day one. That's not something you get at a lot of other coffee shops."

But that quality goes both ways, West says.

"If you have a great experience, then I'm having a great experience, and then my workday is a lot sweeter as a result," West said. "We try to inject some life into Jasper Avenue."