Very early in my career, my boss arrived in my office and said that we needed to define our organization's corporate culture. That bewildered me. I had no idea what culture meant. I looked "culture" up in the dictionary—one of those pre-Internet dictionaries with thumb tabs (round notches) for each letter in the alphabet—but I wasn't any more enlightened. My boss and I managed to cobble something together to send up the line, but where this little project went, I do not recall.

I remembered that incident today when my daughter and I went to Café Landwer in downtown Toronto, on the corner of University Avenue and Adelaide Street West. In fact, we went there three times in two days—for breakfast on both Monday and Tuesday and for coffee on Tuesday afternoon. The food was very good; the vibe, casual; and the service, excellent. In fact, it was the seamless way that colleagues worked together to make our experience positive that stood out for us.

From the moment we arrived at Café Landwer, we felt welcomed. Morgan greeted us with a genuine and down-to-earth smile, and immediately settled us at a booth with a couple of waters.

Moments later, Kyra arrived to take our order.

— Could we get ice for our water?

— Sure!

Later, when our Shakshuka arrived and we realized that the one we had ordered did not come with cheese, we hailed Kyra.

— We didn't realize that the Shakshuka we chose didn't come with cheese. Would it be possible to get some feta?

— Certainly!

As we ate our dish with warm, made-to-order focaccia and a croissant, we noticed that Kyra had settled herself in a quiet corner to eat her breakfast. Seamlessly, Ali picked up our table, taking care of our request for an extra hot decaf latté with oat milk.

As we left the restaurant, we made a point to thank Ali, Kyra and Morgan for their hospitality. Morgan said that they work like a family at the Café, with everyone supporting each other.

— You must have lots of regulars here.

— We do. Some we know by name.

It reminded me of the Cheers intro song: "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came."

Later in the day, when Mel and I passed the Café (which was just down the street from our hotel), Morgan was outside cleaning tables. She immediately recognized us, asking how our morning had gone. We smiled and chatted with her for a few moments.

When we returned to the Café this morning for breakfast, we were once again greeted by the effervescent Morgan. Seeing that the booth we had eaten at yesterday morning was free, I cheekily said to her:

— Shall we have our usual table?

— Of course!

Kristina was our primary server today. Like her colleagues, she was pleasant and efficient.

This afternoon, when considering a place where we could grab a coffee, Mel and I agreed to return, once more, to Café Landwer, having enjoyed their latté the day before. The place was packed, but Morgan was still at the door, smiling. She said:

— Have you come back for lunch?

— Just a coffee this time.

We proceeded to the coffee counter and engaged in conversation with Sina. Like Morgan, he was naturally cheerful. While he took our order and warmed the chocolate rugelach we had selected on his recommendation, Victoria made our extra hot decaf latté with oat milk, exactly as we liked it. When I asked Sina for a receipt, he called Victoria over. She quietly and patiently coached him on generating a receipt.

As we left the Café, we waved goodbye to Kristina and Morgan.

Had I visited this Café years ago and had been able to recall the many positive people I had encountered in one business, I might have had a better sense of what was meant by "culture" when my boss came into my office in 1989. The culture at Café Landwer is one of positivity, teamwork and efficiency. The kind of welcoming atmosphere visible in the Café does not happen by accident. I imagine that the tone is set at the top.

We will make a point to return to Café Landwer if we find ourselves in downtown Toronto again.