Students can enjoy new study spots and good food, all within walking distance
Two new student-friendly cafés have opened in downtown Brantford over the summer, offering students new places to eat, drink and study near campus.
Chaska Café, located at 50 Colborne St. E., opened doors to the public on June 6. The café serves up Indian street food and has an extensive menu – including ice cream, chai, burgers, momos and more.
Owner Sikander Bunia said the café has received a “good response from the community” since its opening. Bunia moved to Brantford in January of 2026 and said he noticed a lack of restaurants specializing in Indian street food. “I want to bring the Indian street food taste to the streets of Brantford,” said Bunia. His favourites menu items include the fish pakoras and the café’s burgers.
Bunia chose the name “Chaska Café” because “chaska” means “craving” in Hindi. The “Café” portion of the name reflects the business’s’ seating area and selection of coffee and tea. Chaska Café offers students a 10 per cent discount and remains open until 3 a.m. every day.
The combination of the student discount and a 3 a.m. closing time gives Laurier students another meal option later in the evening, and it’s proximity to Expositor Place makes it even more convenient for students living on campus.
A second new business, MimS Boutique Pastry & Bakery, opened May 28 at 11 Queen St. The bakery offers bread, pastries and desserts inspired by Nigerian flavours. It also serves a selection of specialty drinks and juices and offers a catering service.
MimS Boutique Pastry and Bakery began as a shared project between a mother-daughter duo, according to the business’s website. The pair drew inspiration from the Nigerian pastries they grew up making at home and built the bakery around combining those recipes with North American baked goods.
The bakery says many of its products are based on recipes passed down through generations. Its menu includes Nigerian staples such as meat pies, puff-puff and other pastries, which are prepared alongside more familiar North American baked goods.
The owners describe the concept as a way of bringing together family tradition and contemporary tastes through food and “blending traditional recipes with modern favourites.”
This is the second location that MimS has opened, with the first being located at the food court inside the Jackson Square mall at 2 King St. W. in Hamilton.
Students can sit and study inside the bakery, which features natural wood, plants, and greenery throughout its interior. MimS Boutique Pastry & Bakery is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Both businesses also bring food traditions that may be less familiar to some students. Chaska Café focuses on Indian street food while MimS draws from the Nigerian pastries its owners grew up making at home.
No matter your taste, these welcoming new cafés and campus staples invite you to relax, connect, and savour the best of Brantford’s downtown community.
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