Ottawa coffee shop ditching ‘Americano’ for ‘Canadiano’ on its menu

The menu at Morning Owl in Ottawa on Feb. 19, 2025. (Maddison De Varennes/CTV News Ottawa)

An Ottawa coffee shop is renaming the popular “Americano” drink to “Canadiano” on its menu to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of annexation against Canada.

Morning Owl owner Todd Simpson says the small change is meant to “make light of a serious situation.”

“We don’t need any American products right now,” he said from his Laurier Avenue store on Wednesday. “It seems like a really good way to say we’re Canadian.”

Smith says he got the idea from a friend who had seen other restaurants and retailers making similar changes.

He hopes other businesses will consider doing the same.

“It’s a conversation piece. It’s a good laugh,” he said.

The menu board at the coffee shop now lists “Canadiano” along with a red and white maple leaf flag next to it. The drink is considered a standard at coffee shops, simply made with espresso and hot water.

The looming threat of tariffs from the United States and Trump’s insistence in making Canada the “51st state” has many leaning into a “buy Canadian” sentiment.

B.C.-based Kicking Horse Coffee is among the other roasters who have opted for the “Canadiano” name change. Other companies have been emphasizing the “proudly Canadian” brand and opting to buy “Made in Canada” products.