A newly created storefront on Queen Street in Mississauga's historic Streetsville village has been drawing curious visitors, but Pete's Books and Coffee is not a real cafe. It is a temporary film set for the Netflix feature film Beach Read, based on Emily Henry's 2020 novel. The production, starring English actress Phoebe Dynevor and American actor Patrick Schwarzenegger, has transformed The Littlest Gift Boutique into a make-believe bookstore, with the store closed until late July for filming.
Despite the closure, passersby have been peeking in hoping to buy coffee and books, only to find film crews preparing for the director and actors. The set has inadvertently spotlighted the area's authentic small businesses, including The Bake and Brew Cafe, a real coffee shop tucked away in Gagliano Lane.
Real coffee shop benefits from Hollywood attention
Armi, owner of The Bake and Brew Cafe, opened her shop two years ago and has grown through word of mouth. She noted that the film crew has been coming in for coffee, boosting her business. "It's been neat because the film crew have been coming in to get coffee," she said. "I love it here and I love my customers."
The irony is not lost on Armi: a fake coffee shop for a Hollywood movie is driving customers to her real cafe. She has created a unique space with a chess board, books, and memories of iconic late Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, who championed small business.
Streetsville's vibrant small business scene
Streetsville offers a mix of historic and modern establishments, including the old Franklin House pub, The Tea Room, Shelly's diner, Goodfellas Pizza, Murphy's Ice Cream, and Cuchulainn's Irish Pub. Recently, entrepreneurs renovated the historic Odd Fellows Hall, vacant for decades, into the Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Company, which now operates across from a former Starbucks.
Joe Warmington, author of the article, emphasized that such neighborhoods thrive when capitalism and small business are supported. He contrasted Streetsville's vitality with boarded-up main streets in other Ontario towns, blaming strip malls, shopping centers, and online giants like Amazon. "When all you have is drug addicts lying around on the sidewalks, you don't have the Canadian dream but a real-life nightmare," he wrote.
A positive spotlight on community resilience
The film production has cast a positive light on Streetsville, highlighting the efforts of small business owners who are betting on Canada and Ontario. "All of these small business owners are betting on Canada, Ontario and people wanting to spend their money on products from non-corporate players as they savour the uniqueness of their tiny towns," Warmington noted.
He called for fostering such success, saying, "This is the best of Ontario and the best of Canada and anything that can be done to help foster this success is a good thing for everybody." Pete's Books and Coffee may not be real, but the many authentic businesses around it welcome visitors to drop in, say hello, and stay a while.
