Sonndr in the Press

Though the Sonndr blog generally features original pieces, this blog post intends on showcasing verbal illustrations by others of what Sonndr is. With press features by Louis Vuitton, CBC, and Darby Magazine – here are some fragments of Sonndr captured by others.  

Per Louis Vuitton’s words: “Since 1998, the Louis Vuitton City Guides have established themselves as the ultimate travel companions, bringing the world’s most fascinating cities to life for business and leisure travelers alike. To capture the spirit of each city, Louis Vuitton reaches out to journalists, writers and major figures in the world of arts and letters, whose contributions – together with those of artists, businesspeople and creative talents from many fields – make each City Guide a publication like no other. From five-star accommodations to charming boutique hotels, gourmet restaurants to neighborhood bistros, antique shops to arts centers, museums and monuments, each Louis Vuitton City Guide is a treasure trove of invaluable information, revealing the pleasures each city has to offer. Every City Guide also features a special guest contributor, who takes the reader on a personal exploration of their home city, along the way sharing tips on their favorite spots. The Toronto City Guide includes guest contributions from the novelist and fashion designer Claudia Dey and exclusive photographs by Mat Jacob of the Tendance Floue collective”. As a part of this collection of Toronto’s mark-making spots, Sonndr is included as a “cool and cosy” café made worthwhile visiting in the Dundas West neighbourhood.

Louis Vuitton describes Sonndr as the following: “Sonndr's original location, in a former church with stained-glass windows, funky furniture and soaring ceilings, closed in early 2023, leaving freelancers scrambling for another unofficial (and Instagrammable) clubhouse. Luckily, they could breathe a sigh of relief that summer when the café reopened in a former flower shop, across the street from Trinity Bellwoods Park. The space is far smaller but retains the communal and convivial spirit of the original, with local artists' work hanging on the walls, incense burning (sourced from shops in Kensington Market) and Lauryn Hill playing softly. There is also an expansive street-side patio double the size of the one-room interior. The owners, Canadian soccer player Liam Fraser, ex-soccer player Ashtone Morgan and their friend Rakgwedi Manet Ramphore commissioned designer Cam Brown to outfit the interior with curved wood "laptop tables" for those without an office. (…) Pair your latte - made with Ethiopian Shakiso beans from Van & Co., a Toronto micro-roaster - with a dense, tart lemon financier for a blissful treat”.

When Tara De Boer, author of the CBC article approached Ashtone for an interview, De Boer did so with the intention of encompassing the past, present, and future of Sonndr – a space of liminality and timelessness in the telling of the Sonndr story. At least, that is the impression left by her words. There is a particular excerpt that both serves as a fragment yet a point of summation for the Sonndr story:

“If you build it, they will come”

 As pro soccer players with unconventional work schedules, Morgan and Fraser would often find themselves at different cafes following their mornings on the pitch. Eventually, they began to wonder, "Why not try this ourselves?"

After leasing an old, stained-glass church for a year as the original Sonndr location, the trio opened up their current spot on Dundas West in August of 2023 — coincidentally, the same day Morgan announced his retirement from soccer after 13 years.

While the founders were initially resistant to drilling soccer into the business, they soon came around to the idea. 

"We've always felt like the soccer side was easy because we've been doing it," Morgan said.  

Now, he draws parallels between the cafe culture and the one he's familiar with on the field, where diverse cultures, languages, and unique life experiences, all blend together.

"It's like a safe haven, a clubhouse."

Darby Magazine takes a trip to Sonndr in a multi-media illustration of the establishment as a neighbourhood staple and the clubhouse for FC Cold Sand. Through a series of scenes, Sonndr is depicted in a light that both embodies yet lets in moments conventionally uncaptured in the day-to-day of the shop’s operation.

Sonndr’s story and happenings are not just written by us, but by being in the moment with us, you too serve as a co-author to all of the narratives comprising ours. From every photo to every review, every conversation to every recommendation, we appreciate it all.

Yours truly,
The Sonndr Team