A Toronto coffee shop’s protest of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration started small, with one line written in white marker on its wall menu.
Where Cafe Belém’s menu once listed “Americano,” a cafe staple made with espresso shots and water, it now says “Canadiano.”
For some Canadian coffee shops, changing the name of the Americano has become a way to object to Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods and his calls for the country to become the “51st state.”
William Oliveira, Cafe Belém’s owner, doesn’t want his shop to be a “political place.” But he said showing support for Canada right now is important – even if it’s just by changing the name of a popular drink.
“It’s good for us to just, you know, stand up for being ourselves and reminding other people … that we’re not to be pushed around and bullied by others,” said Oliveira, 25.
Trump imposed a 25 percent tax on Canadian goods this month to force the country to take more aggressive action against illegal immigration and drugs reaching the United States. The next day, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau implored Canadians “to choose products made right here in Canada.”
Trump then paused the tariffs after Canada vowed to increase its efforts to prevent illicit drugs and migrants from entering the United States. But on Monday, Trump said the tariffs will take effect next month.
Canadian protests against the U.S. government have skyrocketed since Trump first took aim at his country’s northern neighbor. Hockey fans have booed the American national anthem at games, an Ontario gift shop has hawked clothes that say “Canada Is Not for Sale,” and entrepreneurs have developed apps that identify products made in Canada.
More than 230,000 Canadians have signed a petition asking Trudeau to revoke billionaire Elon Musk’s citizenship and passport. Musk oversees the U.S. DOGE Service, which has fired thousands of government employees to cut spending.
Kicking Horse Coffee based in British Columbia called for Canadian coffee shops to change the name of their Americanos to “Canadianos” in an Instagram post early this month. At Kicking Horse, the drink had been called a “Canadiano” for 16 years, the cafe said.
“We’re officially making it a thing and asking coffee shops across the country to make the switch,” the post said.
In the following days, people on the social media network X who opposed the change called for a boycott of Kicking Horse. Some argued that the new name didn’t make sense, given the drink’s rumored origin. U.S. soldiers in Italy during World War II complained that classic espressos were too strong, according to Food & Wine, so local coffee shops watered down the drink. They called it caffé Americano, meaning “American coffee.”
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On Tuesday, Kicking Horse’s original post appeared to have been deleted. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
The protest had already caught on with some coffee shops. Elizabeth Watson, owner of Palisades Cafe in British Columbia, said a customer sent the shop a social media post from Kicking Horse about two weeks ago. Watson, who said the movement was “bold and brave,” changed the drink’s name at her shop.
Employees cut two small pieces of paper and wrote “CANADIANO” on them. Then they placed the new titles on their menu, over “Americano” and “Americano Misto,” which is made similarly to an Americano but adds steamed milk.
“We aren’t necessarily aiming to be political,” said Watson, 34, who was raised in British Columbia. “But we love the idea of really just supporting Canadian pride.”
The new name has made some customers laugh, Watson said, and has increased interest in the drink. On Sunday, two customers asked what a Canadiano was. After Watson explained the name adjustment, they ordered it, she said.
While the pieces of paper that say “Canadiano” were clearly taped onto the menu, Watson said the drink might become a permanent fixture.
“I would be happy to stick with it,” Watson said, “at this time.”
The movement is reminiscent of U.S. Republican lawmakers’ push to change the name of french fries to “freedom fries” in 2003, after France expressed opposition to U.S. military action in Iraq. The proposal garnered international attention – and criticism from Democrats and celebrities, including actress Tina Fey. The idea lost traction in the following years.
But Oliveira, Cafe Belém’s owner, said he doesn’t plan to revert his shop’s drink name to “Americano” in the foreseeable future. His shop, which opened in November, switched to the name “Canadiano” about two weeks ago after his employees heard about the movement from a Toronto magazine reporter.
Oliveira was scared customers would complain, but he said people have found the new name clever. When someone orders an Americano, Oliveira said, employees jokingly note that isn’t the drink’s name.
“It’s definitely me saying, ‘Hey, just in case anybody was wondering, this is where we stand on that subject: We are pro-Canadian,’” Oliveira said.