More Than a Cup: What Terminal 3 Taught Me About Coffee

 

Terminal 3 Café.  

I’ve never been a coffee person. My usual order is something sweet and safe—an iced blonde vanilla latte with syrup and cold foam. Black coffee has always felt too strong, too bitter, too serious. So, when my mom suggested we visit Terminal 3, a Fourth Wave Plus (4thW+) café, I agreed mostly for the company. What I didn’t expect was to leave thinking about coffee in a completely different way.

A Café That Feels Like a Story

Terminal 3 is the kind of place that feels intentional from the moment you walk in. It’s tucked inside a music school and store, which gives it a calm, creative atmosphere. You’ll see people reading, chatting quietly, or waiting for their music lessons. It’s the kind of space that feels reflective; less like a spot to grab a quick caffeine fix and more like a spot to slow down.

Terminal 3 shares space with a music store and a school. 

The name “Terminal 3” is inspired by Toronto’s airport, symbolizing travel and connection. That idea carries through everything they do. On their website, the café describes its philosophy as building “multiculturalism and togetherness through coffee beans by sourcing from around the world, listening to their unique stories, and sharing those findings with the local community.” That line stuck with me because it perfectly captures what Fourth Wave Plus coffee is all about: sustainability, storytelling, and inclusion.

Each pour-over at Terminal 3 comes with a small card that looks like a luggage tag, listing the coffee's origin, roast, and tasting notes - a nod to the cafe's airport theme. 

Where Science Meets Care

Pour-over from Papua New Guinea (Jiawaka) - a light roast with notes of pomegranate, sugarcane, and grape. 

What surprised me most about Terminal 3 was how scientific the process felt. Every coffee is carefully measured, from TDS (total dissolved solids) to grind size, water composition, and espresso-to-milk ratios. They even sometimes add a special mineral powder to their brewing water to achieve ideal balance. It’s a reminder that coffee isn’t just an art, it’s chemistry.

Terminal 3 displays its selection of single origin coffee beans, each labeled with the country where it was grown. 

Everything is roasted in-house, and each bean is single origin. There are no blends and no dark roasts. The staff explained that this is what sets Fourth Wave Plus cafés apart from earlier waves of coffee—they’re focused on precision and education just as much as flavour.

All of Terminal 3's coffee is roasted in-house using their on-site roaster, allowing complete control over quality and flavour.

Our Visit

On a sunny day in September, my mom and I met up with her best friend while her sons were at their guitar lessons next door. We decided to stay for coffee and conversation.

We started with a flat white made from Ethiopian Guji beans, a light roast with notes of floral, milk chocolate, and brown sugar. It was smooth and beautifully presented.

Then came the pour-over, which I’d heard was a must-try for anyone wanting to understand specialty coffee. The barista brought out a board of six different beans, each labeled with its origin, acidity, aftertaste, and tasting notes. It felt a bit like choosing a wine (from what I hear) and I picked one from Papua New Guinea (Jiwaka) which was described as having notes of pomegranate, sugarcane, and grape.

Pour-overs are served black, which felt intimidating at first. I’m used to adding milk or syrup, so this was a big step outside my comfort zone. Still, I tried to stay open-minded. The flavor was surprisingly playful, and the pomegranate note really came through.

My mom’s pour-over, the Colombia Finca Villa Gesha, was also light and aromatic, though both of us agreed we still had some learning to do before fully enjoying this kind of coffee. We talked about how refining your palate can take time, but that conversation became more interesting than the cup itself.

Our flat white, cappuccino, and pour-over, beautifully presented on wooden boards with details about the brew. The second photo shows what was left - a good sign. 

A Space for Connection

While we were sitting there, I overheard someone telling one of the baristas how happy they were that the café was still around. It was a small moment, but it stood out to me. It showed how places like this become part of a community, not just because of the coffee they serve, but because of the relationships they build.

The café sells and $80 t-shirt that says "For the Coffee Connoisseurs"

That sense of connection is what makes Terminal 3 feel special. They have done a very good job at creating a balance between expertise and openness. The café celebrates the idea of the “coffee connoisseur”, and you can even buy a shirt that says so, but the atmosphere itself isn’t unwelcoming. The baristas share their knowledge with genuine enthusiasm, turning what could feel intimidating into something inviting.

As an Accounting and Finance student, I’ve always noticed how coffee finds its way into so many spaces whether it’s study sessions, early mornings, or networking “coffee chats.” Being at Terminal 3 reminded me that coffee isn’t just a drink, it’s a shared ritual that can mean something different to everyone. It can mean focus, comfort, or community, depending on who you are and where you are.

The Question of Accessibility

Still, I couldn’t help thinking about accessibility. Ethically sourced and sustainably grown coffee often costs more, and that’s understandable. But it raises the question: how can we make these kinds of experiences available to more people? If coffee is meant to bring people together, I hope the Fourth Wave Plus movement continues to find ways to balance ethics, quality, and inclusivity.

What I Took Away

Before this visit, I’d never really thought much about coffee beyond my own order. But sitting there, surrounded by the sound of guitars and the quiet hum of conversation, I realized that coffee can be more than just a drink. It can be a way of connecting with people and cultures. Furthermore, the small moments create unforgettable memories.

Visiting Terminal 3 has shaped my impressions about coffee. I may not have walked away a coffee convert, but I did leave curious. Curious about the people behind each roast, the science behind each cup, and the stories that travel in every bean. And maybe that’s a start.

 

 

Works Cited

 Adekunle, B. (2025, June 20). Part I: Understanding Coffee. https://bamideleadekunle.substack.com/p/part-i-understanding-coffee

Terminal 3 Roasters. (n.d.). Colombia - Finca Villa Betulia Gesha. Terminal 3 Roasters. 

https://t3roasters.com/products/colombia-finca-villa-betulia-gesha

Terminal 3 Roasters. (n.d.). Our philosophy. Terminal 3 Roasters. 

https://t3roasters.com/pages/philosophy

Terminal 3 Roasters. 20 August 2023. The Role of Water Quality in Coffee Brewing. https://t3roasters.com/blogs/gateway/the-role-of-water-quality-in-coffee-brewing?_pos=2&_sid=3b268c135&_ss=r.

 

Keira Popov

Undergraduate Student

Ted Rogers School of Management

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)