where the island meets.

Here at Ground Up we believe in comfort food & good coffee, using fresh, local products whenever possible and serving it up in a warm, friendly and safe space for locals & visitors alike.

our cafe.

Offering breakfast, lunch, fresh-baked goods and specialty coffee in the center of the village.

menu

our catering.

Ground Up offers extensive customizable options for your event. We will work with you to come up with the perfect menu for your wedding, luncheon, conference and more!

Learn more

 our story.

Ground Up was started by born-and-raised Gabriolan's Becky and Jen along with their partners Alex and Bram, bringing over 60 years of highly varied food service experience.

Learn more

you are welcome here

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  • “A family business, ran by born and raised locals, who also work in the kitchen, which uses locally sourced food. That's the definition of running a small business for a community.

    Also really good food and coffee.”

  • “Best food on the island ! These are Gabriola grown peeps serving Gabriola grown food. Can’t go wrong. 5 stars.”

  • “Wonderful food from wonderful people! So great to have a breakfast and lunch option again on the island.”

  • “I just had a delicious ‘classic breakfast’ at ground up cafe. The eggs were local and had lovely bright yolks and cooked perfectly and were truly delicious, the sausages tasted like real food, the hashbrowns tasted like real potatoes, and the jam tasted like homemade. My first breakfast there but definitely not my last. Then took a delicious piece of carrot cake home for dessert which was rich and moist with lovely creamy frosting. Highly recommended!”

  • “Best place to get food on Gabriola, I absolutely love their breakfast in the morning and burger for lunch, I highly recommend coming here, my go to place when i visit!”

  • “We love Ground Up! The cookies are to die for. The food is unbelievably fresh and delicious. The staff make you feel like family. 10/10 Recommend”