Popular international cafe set to open first Canadian location in Mississauga

It appears that Mississauga’s newest food hotspot, the “Ridgeway Plaza,” will be home to another beloved international brand seeking to enter the Canadian market. 

FiLLi, a cafe that was born when its founder decided to serve “milky tea dusted with saffron” out of his father’s former cafeteria in Dubai’s Al Mamzar area in 2004, will be opening in the new Erin Mills Centre (4700 Ridgeway Dr.) in the not-too-distant future. 

FiLLi’s branding can be seen on a storefront in the plaza. 

According to FiLLi’s official website, the tea brand was launched by Rafih Filli, a “chai master” who named the cafe after a nickname he was given in school. 

“Little did he think that a cup of tea could lead to a flourishing chain of cafes across the Gulf with customers flocking to taste his concoction,” the website reads. 

“The signature FiLLi Zafran Tea is a result of his own determination to introduce a specialty tea in the market that people would love.” 

As far as food and drink is concerned, the menu features a range of teas (FiLLi tea zafran, masala chai, lemon ginger tea, black mint tea and more), milkshakes, lassis, iced coffees and cold brews, mocktails and more. As for food, the menu boasts breakfast dishes, sandwiches, momos (dumplings), wraps, paratha and kathi rolls, rice and noodle dishes and more.   

According to the brand’s website, FiLLI Cafes can be found across six countries and the brand hopes to operate 127 cafes across the UAE by 2025. 

An official opening date for the Mississauga location has not yet been announced.