I had an iced coffee (not on the menu and they had to compromise the syrup since they had no liquid sugar). It's rather expensive ($8.99 for a panini), but I guess I don't mind spending an extra buck for this bit of Richmond Hill-born coffee house (correct me if I'm wrong?). It's really authentic and I believe it is a part of the Richmond Hill identity, partly because it's very close to "downtown" Richmond Hill.
When I went, there was a (weekly?) gathering of women who had booked the back room for a painting gathering. The room next to it was filled to the ceiling with new and used books. While waiting for my friend I browsed through them and the variety was quite vast.
The intimacy of Covernotes draws me in, as it really seems like "the neighbourhood coffee shop", but I would not frequent the coffee shop.
For me, Williams Coffee Pub (in the Loblaws plaza northward) would be my go-to place for meetings over coffee with friends with a bonus being that it's closer to where I live.
The quality of my coffee wasn't anything special either. Perhaps if Covernotes toned down the price I would come more, but alas.