Canada Joins Australia in Caffeinating Boston’s West End

A Canadian coffee company wants to help make Boston’s West End a great place for international coffee brands — or at least internationally inspired ones. With Cuppacoffee — a local group of cafes that takes its queue from Australia — already located prominently on Merrimac Street, Canada’s Second Cup Coffee Company plans to move in nearby at 97 Causeway St., steps from TD Garden, according to Boston Restaurant Talk.

This will be the company’s first New England location. Second Cup was founded in 1975, getting its start as a shopping mall kiosk. Over the next 40-plus years, it expanded across Canada and globally, opening cafes in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, along with three locations in the United States (in Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Florida).

Second Cup serves a variety of coffee beverages, including Australia’s popular espresso-based drink, the flat white. Other options include tea, lemonade, and frappes. On the food side, there are baked goods, sandwiches, cookies, scones, and more.

In addition to Cuppacoffee and the forthcoming Second Cup, the West End’s coffee options abound, with strong Dunkin’ Donuts representation, a Boston Common Coffee Company, and more. The West End has also attracted several new restaurants in recent months, including a Tasty Burger that just opened at North Station and Rogue Lounge on Friend Street.

• Second Cup Coffee Company to Open by North Station in Boston [BRT]