Since we have hundreds of small businesses in the Vicinity network, we want to use our blog to help you discover local gems and new places to try, and,by extension, new places to earn points and get rewards. Every month we’ll highlight new neighbourhoods in cities across Canada and recommend where you could be getting rewards.
For our first instalment we thought we’d cover some great Vicinity-enabled merchants in Toronto’s downtown core. Whether you’re a Bay St. financier on your lunch break, a condo-dweller strolling around on the weekend, or a visitor trying to sample Toronto’s finest, here are 3 Vicinity businesses to try.
Dark Horse Espresso Bar has a few locations across the city, so don’t feel left out if you can’t get into the downtown core to get your caffeine fix. Dark Horse is a relaxing alternative to the sometimes too-rushed corporate competitor. In addition to a delicious Americano, Dark Horse also has snacks (scones!!) and free Wi-Fi, just in case you were looking for somewhere to hide from the boss after they come back from a particularly long status meeting with the client. Dark Horse is open from 7am to 7pm and Vicinity Members can earn 1 Vicinity point for every $1 spent.
This Richmond Hill transplant might be the best kept secret on Elm St. At this high-end Chinese-style bakery and cafe, customers can pick their own baked goods froma variety of options, and then sit down with a HK Milk tea. Lucullus is currently under expansion, with more seating and an espresso bar on the second floor. Vicinity members earn 1 point for every $10 purchase, which can be used towards drinks and slices of cake!
Finally, if you’re looking for something so good you might not be able to wait to get it back to your table, check out “I Went to Philly” just north of College on Yonge. “IWTP” is your quintessential Philly Cheese steak joint – you know it’s authentic because they developed their “American-style” recipe with Pennsylvania gurus. Take it from us, get a deluxe cheese steak with a side of fries and you might have to roll back to the subway station. Earn 1 Vicinity point for each sandwich purchased. Nine points gets you a cheesesteak on the house!
Doesn’t matter if it’s breakfast, a mid-afternoon coffee break or that late-night snack, we’ve got a Vicinity merchant nearby that will gladly reward you for being a loyal customer. Which neighbourhood do you want us to profile next? Let us know in the comments, or tell us on Twitter or Facebook.