Laughing Bean Coffee Company

Even though it is somewhat out of our way, our family frequently enjoys going to Laughing Bean. It is also part of a weekly ritual for my eldest child and me. The coffee is great, the baked goods are terrific, and the sandwiches are delicious. Prices are fair. The staff are friendly and provide great service. The ambiance of the shop is cozy and the signs on the walls are cheeky and fun (I also enjoy the regular puns on the sidewalk sandwich board sign).
If I had one complaint, it’s that I had been patronizing the place for a long time before I realized they had soup on the menu, because the sign faces away from the main door. And it’s good soup, too!

The most recent time I went was with my mother. She saw their sign for cinnamon buns. When we got there, there were two people behind the counter very much in a conversation. We stood there for a few minutes until they deigned to look at us. They clearly were not pleased that we interrupting.
All I wanted was a cinnamon bun to go. One of the servers went to get it, the one on the cash register continued to ask if we wanted it heated up. No, we didn’t.
I really didn’t want to spend anymore time then I had to. Weirdly enough, we had to wait a handful of minutes before she handed us what we ordered. Of course, I wasn’t surprised that they heated it up. They really didn’t care how we wanted it. Poor customer service. I was appalled at their behaviour, as if it was too much to serve us.

In years past, I enjoyed my semi-​regular visits to Laughing Bean: good coffee, fun atmosphere, and wicked clever signage. More recently, my visits have decreased from weekly to monthly. No evening hours? No big deal. Periodically feeling like my simple coffee order is an inconvenience for staff? Not so cool. I have kept going to support a local, independent business.
Rebecca, the owner, changed my mind today.
I realized too late that the honey bottle, at the customer station, was really sticky. After I washed my hand in the washroom, I mentioned it to the first person that I saw.
Me: Excuse me. The honey bottle is really sticky.
R: OK?! (Accompanied with a glare that convinced me that I had just won her idiot of the week award.)
Me: Well, I just thought I should mention it …
R: (Cuts me off. Still with the glare and the angry voice.) Would you like to bring it over here so someone can wash it?
At this point, I wasn’t in the mood, but I also didn’t wish further interaction. I brought it over and no more words were exchanged.
I’m sure another coffee shop will have better ways to show their appreciation for my business.

Really nice barista, small cozy shop with some seating, busy atmosphere (décor wise), free wifi and a decent London Fog. There is some very down to earth local feel to this place that I can appreciate. I had a quick drink on the way to the coliseum. They loved my cup that I had made from a previous joint.

Really good coffee, fast friendly service and the best blueberry scone I have ever had.

Had a carrot/​walnut muffin and a cup of tea between running some errands. Nice service, delicious muffin, chill music, clean and homey. A good retreat from craziness.

Came in out of the rain.
This is a very nice neighborhood coffee place.
Free Wifi and nicely layout.
The chai latte was very tasty but I am not sure why they throw in so much cinnamon on top. I was expecting some sort of latte art but all I got was cinnamon abstract and maybe a little heart.
They are tables with plugs at the back for those that want to camp out here. Nice round tables up front for those coffee cliques to gather and chitchat.
I have been to some poetry slams here years ago and there is space to accommodate about 30+ people comfortably.

My office just opened up across the street and I want to support a local coffee shop (there’s a Starbucks a block away) but the baristas here have been consistency RUDE! I think the manager made my drink today and when I double checked that she had made it with soy, which I paid extra for, she glared at me and sighed. She begrudgingly re-​made my drink.
Sorry Laughing Bean, you need to take a page out of Starbucks’ book. If they don’t make your drink right, even if you forgot to order it correctly, they re-​make it with a smile.

Great little coffee shop with a fun atmosphere yet I’ve managed to have a few business meetings there and we could hear each other no problem.
We live only a few blocks away and think it’s a great little spot!

One of my favourite spots in this hood! Friendly staff and quality beverages!
Love the personality!

Oct.17
I cannot drink coffee, but I stopped by here on a rainy morning while I waited for someone. There is this old bicycle out front cemented in to the ground. IDK what the story behind that is, but I am sure someone does. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee made me want one BAD! But, I just stuck to a Rice Krispie. It was ok. I like their signs though, they made me LAUGH!

I absolutely love this place!
Firstly, FREE WI-​FI — who doesn’t like wi-​fi ?
Secondly — COFFEE — yes we all need a little bit of caffeine to live
Thirdly — ICE CREAM — yes, that’s right, ICE CREAM! something Starbucks and Café Artigiano don’t have.
Finally — Wicked Nice Staff — Special Props to Sophie who works there on Wednesdays!
I can’t wait for my next coffee break :)

Neighbour-​hoody goodness.
The Bean has a reputation in the area for being very much a community and family oriented business with friendly counter attendants. Plenty of seating, good wireless and an outdoor area for strollers, bikes and the fur family too.
It’s not a roaster, so don’t expect a pour over of El Salvador or a french press of your current favourite, but they use a JJbean house blend.
Recommend you have a Cappuccino as the house coffee leaves a little to be desired. I mean this in no offensive manner, but I gotta be honest.

Although this place may be known for their coffee, as a non-​drinker, I opted for the Vanilla Cream tea for this first visit, and enjoyed sipping it while I sat chatting with a friend. And I must say the smell of the tea totally piqued my senses.
For lunch, I ordered the Grateful Veg (a grilled vegetable panini), which I’d had been craving for some time and, I must say, it totally hit the spot.
Bonus: free wifi, convenient washroom, and parking for customers.

Dear LB,
Why did you get rid of the stamp card? I was sooo close. I am saddened by the loss, but I guess you don’t need to offer free coffee when it’s that tasty. :)
Love your coffee, your service, your patrons and most of all your Ham and Cheese croissants. I dream about those croissants.
Thank you for your beans and your laughter.
Also, I love that I can park on the sidewalk and visit dressed almost in my pj’s and nobody blinks.
Bonus points for the little boy who can sit on the counter without falling off! What a sweet cherub. And you don’t even mind his presence!
You are a neighbourhood gem.

This is my favourite coffee shop in my neighbourhood — maybe even in the whole city! I go out of my way to go here for my weekend morning coffee when I walk my dog, even passing a Starbucks on the way, because the owners and staff are great, the coffee is great, and it’s got a great atmosphere.
I really enjoy their espresso drinks, though they do great iced drinks too. Their grilled sandwiches are great (though at times a bit greasy), and the soup and bakery options are perfect for a light lunch.
I love that they have seating for all types of café patrons — they’ve recently renovated to make an area in the back more useful for those with laptops (and the wifi is free!), and for those patrons who want a place to sit and talk or read the paper, there are large sofa chairs and bistro tables near the windows. I think this was a really smart way to do it so that there is always space for patrons who want to use computers and those who just want to chill and meet with friends.
Laughing Bean has a great patio, which on sunny days is occupied by bikers, families, kids, dogs, and everybody else. They’ve been gracious enough to tolerate my puppy’s barking from outside, and the owners (as dog lovers themselves) have jumped in to help me train her to wait patiently while I get my coffee and complimentary dog biscuit from the jar by the espresso bar.
Do yourself a favour — drive past the Starbucks drive-​through and pop in to Laughing Bean instead! You’ll be glad you did!
NB: also they have a large, clean wheelchair accessible bathroom stall (key is hung on the wall near the gelato case), and provide toys and books for kids to play with — see the shelf across from the bathroom door.

Absolutely terrific.
Great hosts, and happy people.
To top it off they agreed to stay open late to host a Meetup group I organize and everything about it was awesome! Comfortably fit 27 or so of our group.
I love supporting businesses like this, and where Fresh Bean (across the street) fell on its face with us, Laughing Bean delivered in spades.

I love Laughing Bean’s coffee! Even though Starbucks is way closer to me by a block, I’ll make the trek up the hill to my favourite local joint. Their coffee is ALWAYS hot, their coffee actually has kick and staff are super duper friendly. Pastries are simple, tasty and not complicated. When I walk into LBC I don’t feel like I’ve walked into an university’s library or study hall but like a friend/family’s cozy kitchen.
Visiting patrons are just as friendly and you can always rely on them for a good chat without getting weird, WTF look. Sure, its a little ecclectic, but I choose that over generic.
PSST…they have free small coffee between 6:00am and 7:00am or something like that. I was not fully awake yet and could not remember when it is. I do remember being very confused when my medium coffee came out to be $ 0.25. Yes, twenty five cents. There is no reason to not go.

I really love this place because the staff is just awesome. fun and quirky and friendly.
The coffee is very good too, though it really is the ambiance of the place that stands out, thanks to the clever management who uses humour and neighbourly friendliness to win loyal fans.
I tried a muffin there recently that wasn’t really all that great, but will try other things on the menu soon. It would be nice to get this rated 5 stars in the future.

Small, cozy independent coffee shop in Hastings-​Sunrise area.
The draws for me are: free WiFi (stated ‘with $ 5 purchase’, but usually any purchase will do), a quick 5 minute walk from my house and fairly consistent Americanos. Sometimes amazing, sometimes not-​so-​great, but always passable. Better quality Americanos than Fresh Bean down the street and the ‘Starbuckses’ that flank it. But I still prefer JJ Bean or Artigiano, but Laughing Bean is probably the best in the area.
All the staff is very laid-​back and friendly which suits the homely, dim interior with the funny signs and magnets. Can be ‘cozy’ or ‘cramped’ depending on how packed it is — and it is often pretty busy as it’s pretty popular with the locals as a gathering spot. All the character of this place fits the area.
This place is very kid-​friendly and has a watering bucket for pets outside. There’s a small selection of toys to entertain the younglings — sometimes it’s pretty cute when one of them wants to say «Hi» to you, other times when junior is feeling cranky or ‘shouty’ it can be grating.
Overall, nice little café serving up decent coffee — a real slice of the neighbourhood.