It reads like a TV sitcom. Reza Yazdjerdi and Reza Sheikh, two friends raised a world away, leave their idyllic jobs in Iran to give Western life a fair shake. They go through the ringer and, in a Hail Mary moment, try their hand at the caffeine game. Sight unseen, they learn the ropes of running a new business on the spot. Throw in some helping hands from the family and a cast of recurring customers, and you have an atmosphere that has since thrived in one of the country's most fashionable zip codes. This is the story of RSquared, where everybody knows your… you know.

Who are Reza & Reza and what is the origin of RSquared?

Reza Y: We both have engineering backgrounds and had good jobs back home in Tehran. We arrived in Toronto, and we couldn't find jobs in our field. I worked in restaurants for a bit, but it didn't satisfy me. One day, we sat down and agreed to start a business together. A space, Quaff Cafe, on Queen St. West was for sale. Our first idea was to open a wine bar. We ended up adopting the existing coffee shop and found we liked the business.

Reza S: We operated under their name for a few months to gain experience. We learned everything about roasters and espresso machines and grinders.

What was concept and direction of the coffee shop?

Reza Y: The coffee shop we took over was very old and rustic. When we renovated, we wanted to go with a clean and bright look. We did some research and found bright was more conducive for social interaction. It's stripped down but it's not pretentious at all. It's very inviting.

How did you come about your signature blend?

In-house chef Pouria Tehrani: We started with the pre-existing equipment and beans. It was not what we wanted. There were a lot of people asking us about switching beans. We then found our roaster Steven Souphanthong of Social Coffee Co., who took us to a new level of knowledge and experience. When you go to a coffee roaster and design your own blend, it's very special. No other roaster gave us this opportunity to design one. So far, it's been the best business experience I've ever had.

Tell us about your baristas. What do they bring to the table?

Reza Y: Some baristas are very snobby and don't talk to customers, but when we go through the interview process we want somebody who interacts with people.

Reza S: Our old barista, Matt, recently moved to Dublin. He was one of the best latte artists in the country. Since that time, all of the staff have become pretty good with making lattes.

Reza Y: We wasted a lot of milk to get good at latte art.

What is your signature beverage at the moment? How did you come up with it?

Reza S: This season, our Spanish latte is very popular. It's made of condensed milk, espresso, regular milk, and cayenne pepper. It's inspired by the Earth Cafe in Los Angeles.

Reza Y: Every season we introduce a new beverage. It's a difficult thing to do. Every four or five months, we have to come up with new ideas for drinks. Two or three months before the season we experiment. Everyone is involved.

Pouria: We do a lot when we try to come up with a new menu. We encourage people to go crazy.

What would you serve a layman coffee drinker who is looking to refine their palette?

Reza Y: Cappuccino in the morning. Maybe a Cortado in midday. Three PM probably an espresso.

Pouria: You have to just start trying everything out. Go to different places and decide what you like and don't like.

Reza Y: There are some basics about where your tongue tastes sweetness or bitterness. Knowing that helps inform you what the taste of coffee is doing on your tongue. You should be open for any kind of coffee. Good or bad.

How did you create the RSquared experience?

Reza S: There are so many factors involved in the process of making good coffee. And they're very sensitive. Even one extra second down cutting the shot* or the humidity of the day can change everything. It makes things that much tougher. Then, our customers add sugar or milk. If you examine the whole process, there are a lot of factors involved.

What, in your opinion, is the key to your success?

Pouria: Once you start a local business, people pick it up and you hope they come to you. I don't know if it's us just being us, or something about Queen Street West being the way it is. The give and take is great.

Reza Y: At the end of the day, our product is very important and is the best we can get, but the relationships and communication with our customers is a big reason for our success. People in this neighbourhood gave us this opportunity. Everyone knows each other. They buy their stuff from local shops. That's what we had in Iran, and the Queen West neighbourhood is like this as well.

Visit RSquared Cafe at 668 Queen St. W. or online.