Customers flooded into Wortley Village’s Black Walnut Bakery Café on Wednesday, sharing their excitement about its re-opening nearly three years after a fire destroyed the former building.
In April 2023, an early-morning blaze caused about $2 million in damages to the property. A 20-year-old man who was convicted of arson for causing the fire has since served his sentence.
“It’s just such a good joy to be back in the same environment,” said Colton Somerville, a customer who had been going to the cafe for many years before it closed.
Fire crew on-scene after fire at the Black Walnut in Wortley Village on April 16, 2023. (Credit: Reddit user ‘ben_13’ in r/londonontario)
“The coffee’s great, the people are great, and it’s just a good time in general,” said Somerville.
With every table at the cafe filled, long-time fans endured waiting in the cold to grab a cup of their favourite coffee. Some customers, like Brenda Cummings, thought the line was worth it despite never visiting before.
“I was walking past every other day just to see whether it was open and I finally heard it on the radio, okay! It’s big news so I can finally go down and check it out,” said Cummings.
(First-time customer Brenda Cummings at the Black Walnut, Feb. 11, 2026. (Naomi Ljunggren / XFM News)
After moving to the area recently, Cummings said she learned about the cafe’s history from others in her community.
“I can see this is gonna be the hot-spot going forward,” she said.
The cafe’s interior and exterior are similar to the original style, said co-owner Ed Etheridge, but with “new and shiny” furniture and an added private room.
“We just wanted to do that [keep similar] just to sort of reclaim that past and bring back what the community was asking for and what they’re used to,” said Etheridge.
The original estimated timeline to re-build was around a year, said Ethbridge, as financial losses and challenges caused a slow progression to bring the business back.
(Baked goods on display at Wortley Village’s Black Walnut, Feb. 11, 2026. (Naomi Ljunggren / XFM News)
Etheridge said it’s a relief to finally have the cafe finished and open with customers showing up to support.
“It’s been just fantastic. Getting all the customers back and getting all the staff re-hired, it’s been a fantastic journey but, finally here.”
The official grand re-opening of the Black Walnut will be on Saturday at 8 a.m.
