Goza: The Coffee Shop Connecting Veracruz to the Mile End

In Spanish, Goza is an invitation: to enjoy, to savor the moment. Since early July 2026, it’s also the name of a small specialty coffee shop on Saint-Viateur Street, just steps from the neighborhood institution Café Olimpico. Goza is the project of Abraham Guillen, a restaurateur from Veracruz who set out to bring Mexican coffee culture to the Mile End, where hospitality is served up like a gift. “For us, it means giving hugs with soul,” he says of the name he chose to build the space around warmth and human connection.

Abraham is no newcomer to the industry. Since 2009, he’s run the restaurant Mardel in Veracruz, a Mexican region known for its coffee producers. Trained at ITHQ as both a chef and sommelier, he moved back to Quebec in 2008 with one idea in mind: building a bridge between his two home bases. “Veracruz and Montreal, the two places I love most in the world,” he says. A few years ago, he began roasting coffee on a small scale for his restaurant. At Goza, he roasts the beans himself. Rather than lean on certifications, Abraham prefers to talk about people — the relationships he’s built over time, like a tight-knit Mexican cooperative that pays its harvesters fair wages, or an award-winning Cup of Excellence producer developing heat-resistant hybrids to withstand climate change.

Coffee, Like Wine, Is a Story of Terroir

Mexican coffee is still rare in Montreal — costly to import, and backed by a supply chain less established than Brazil’s, though every bit as remarkable in quality. Abraham sees real opportunity here. His selection extends beyond Mexico to coffees from Guatemala and Ecuador, chosen alongside importers who know their origins inside out. His ambition is to showcase coffee the way wine is showcased, spotlighting its terroir and the hands that shape it.

One of the house specialties, a matcha horchata made with rice milk, cinnamon, and vanilla imported directly from Veracruz, has quickly become a regular favorite. “We make it the way my mom used to when I was little,” says Abraham, who sources his matcha from Camellia Sinensis. Summer brings its own rhythm: the affogato comes topped with house-made ice cream, also vanilla-scented. Those with a sweet tooth can pair their drink with pastries from Aube boulangerie or a chocolate concha from Carlotta — known back home as “la bomba.” More discerning coffee lovers can head to the four-seat bar for a pour-over.

A Sun-Filled Escape

Bathed in natural light, Goza opens onto a large picture window that lets the sunshine pour in. The minimalist decor, designed by Abraham with help from an architect, feels airy and welcoming: a soft, weathered brick wall, a marble counter set on terracotta tile, and a scattering of greenery. Photos on the walls tell their own story. “Those are photos from friends who are photographers and joined me throughout the process, when we’d visit producers to select the beans — we documented everything,” Abraham explains. He wanted the space to feel like “a little trip to the south,” he says.

When the weather’s nice, the terrace extends that open-air invitation. You’re welcome to come work here, but Abraham envisions something more: “a meeting place,” built around community and meant for savoring coffee, not just grabbing it to go. A menu of Mexican-inspired bites is planned for the fall. Until then, the Mile End has already welcomed this little corner of Veracruz — and so have we!

Written by Jean-Philippe Tastet
Photography by Alison Slattery

Updated on July 12, 2026

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