John Cena has a surprisingly specific way of judging a coffee shop.
He orders a flat white.
And during a weekend in Edmonton, two downtown cafés passed his test.
Cena was in the city for Edmonton Expo, which ran September 18 to 20 at the Edmonton Expo Centre. He appeared at a live event Sunday afternoon, and during an audience Q&A the actor and former WWE star stopped to praise two coffee shops he'd visited downtown: Fawkes Café & Bakery and Credo Coffee on 104th Street.
"I got two fantastic flat whites today," Cena told the crowd.
He named Fawkes and Credo before adding, "Coffee was great, so thank you for starting my day out fantastic."
Cena also posted a photo from inside Fawkes to Instagram, showing his coffee and pastry.
On its own, that's a nice celebrity shout-out for two Edmonton businesses.
But Cena's choice of drink makes it more interesting.
Cena actually uses flat whites to judge coffee shops
Cena has talked publicly about his flat white test before. In a 2025 Bon Appétit video, he explained that he deliberately orders the drink when visiting coffee shops.
"The reason I love a flat white is 'cause coffee is a universal language throughout the world," Cena said. Then he got to the point: "I will judge a place based on its flat white."
His preference is specific: a smaller drink, roughly five or six ounces, with a double shot of espresso and less milk so the coffee stays prominent. "You do know a place is coffee first and coffee focused by how they pour their flat white," he said.
Cena singled out Melbourne for some of the best flat whites he's had and also mentioned finding good ones in London and Budapest. He doesn't claim to be a coffee expert, describing himself in the same interview as "really low on the coffee first ladder."
But he knows what he likes. And in Edmonton, both Fawkes and Credo passed his test.
His two picks are directly across the street
There's another good part to Cena's Edmonton coffee run. It's remarkably easy to recreate.
Fawkes Café & Bakery is at 10137 104 St. NW.
Credo's 104th Street location is directly across the street.
Cena didn't spend the day driving around Edmonton looking for coffee. Both picks came from essentially the same downtown block.
Anyone curious about his verdict could order a flat white at one, walk across 104th Street and try the other.
Credo has been serving coffee downtown since 2009
Credo is the older of Cena's two stops.
The independent café has been serving Edmonton since 2009, and its 104th Street location has become a familiar part of the downtown strip.
Cena didn't give it a lengthy review or dissect the espresso in front of the Expo crowd. He simply included Credo among the two places where he'd found a fantastic flat white that morning.
Given what he's said about using that exact drink to judge coffee shops, that's a fairly specific compliment.
Cena also put Fawkes on his Instagram
Across the street, Fawkes Café & Bakery is the newer of the two.
Fawkes opened in 2022 and operates from the historic 1911 Great West Saddlery Building on the 104th Street Promenade, between Jasper Avenue and Rogers Place.
The café pairs its coffee program with a bakery known particularly for vegan doughnuts, alongside sandwiches and other pastries.
It's unusual for a downtown Edmonton coffee shop in another way. Fawkes stays open until 10 p.m. daily, giving the core a coffee option well past the typical afternoon close.
Cena didn't only mention it during his Expo appearance. He also posted a photo from inside the café to Instagram showing his flat white and pastry.
For an independent Edmonton café, a public shout-out and an appearance on Cena's Instagram made for an unusual weekend.
Edmonton already has a serious specialty coffee scene
Cena's two stops are part of a much bigger coffee culture in Edmonton.
Transcend Coffee and Roastery has been around since 2006 and has a long history in competitive coffee. Edmonton has also hosted national competitions, including the 2025 Canadian National Barista Championship at the Oliver Exchange.
Local talent did well there, too. Kat Dziwenka and Santiago Lopez of The Colombian reached the national final, finishing fifth and sixth. That same year, Ply Pasarj of Edmonton's Rogue Wave Coffee won the Canadian National Brewers Cup.
The city has plenty of other independent names, including Iconoclast, Coffee Bureau and Labo Coffee.
Cena wasn't trying to rank Edmonton's coffee scene. He simply visited two downtown cafés, ordered the drink he uses to judge a coffee shop and liked what he got.
This time, Fawkes and Credo were the two that caught his attention.
Cena was in Edmonton for Expo
Coffee wasn't why he came to town.
He was one of the headline guests at Edmonton Expo, held September 18 to 20 at the Edmonton Expo Centre, with his John Cena Live appearance scheduled for Sunday afternoon on the main stage.
The weekend brought a long list of film and television guests to the city, including actors from The Boys, along with Dean Norris of Breaking Bad and John Rhys-Davies of The Lord of the Rings.
The coffee recommendation was a byproduct of the trip.
You can try Cena's Edmonton coffee test yourself
Start at Fawkes or Credo on 104th Street.
Order a flat white.
Then cross the street and order another.
Whether they pass your own test is another question. Cena has already given his answer.
Sources
Transcend Coffee and Roastery
2025 Canadian National Barista Championship results — Canada Coffee Championships
2025 Canadian National Brewers Cup results — Canada Coffee Championships
Edmonton Expo — Edmonton EXPO Centre
Bon Appétit
The Barista League
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