A new cafe and coffee shop in Canada called The Anarchist has recently opened its doors. It has an ‘anti-capitalist’ business model where customers can pay what they can for drip coffee, while other beverages and breakfast pastries such as espresso and tea are charged to subsidize lost revenue. The Toronto store will close on May 30 after just over a year in business due to a “lack of cross-generational wealth and seed capital from ethically bankrupt sources,” according to a statement from the owner. The store also sold radical books, art, pins, and t-shirts and allowed members of the public to use restrooms and relax without shopping.
Initially, the concept raised eyebrows, especially among conservatives and proponents of capitalism. Locals on Google Maps also criticized the coffee shop for being overpriced, accusing the owner of being hypocritical by charging high prices while claiming to go against capitalist values. Despite the store’s closure, owner Gabriel Sims Fewer stands by his “great success” of challenging capitalism and experimenting with “living and working in a way that doesn’t embrace pure misanthropy.”
In his statement, Sims Fewer expressed frustration at his inability to sustain the business during the quiet winter season and long-term due to the lack of intergenerational wealth and seed capital from ethically bankrupt sources. He ended his statement with a series of expletives directed at the rich, cops, states, and “colonial death camps we call ‘Canada.'”