Groundswell Cafe + Bakery

Hey Gluten free community! Just had a chocolate frosted , vanilla tea cake with fresh raspberry filling! Best GF bakery treat I,ve had in 10 yrs!!
Leave one for me!

I have been a frequent customer of this coffee/cafe since it opened. Mostly getting coffee to go but sometimes sitting down and reading. Yesterday I bought a coffee and sandwich ($16+) and sat down and began to read. The manager walked over to me and told me their policy is no use of electronics allowed. I was reading on my iPad; I said I was reading a book. But was firmly told that was not allowed. I said I would finish the chapter but the manager just stared at me from across the room. I felt bullied so I left. I have thought about talking with the owner, David Fierabend to confirm if he has implemented and enforces this policy. I may yet. But for now I will stop going to this place. They do have a lot of other rules which I quite honestly ignore - 30 min parking, limited to 1 hour visit, no moving chairs if group is larger that their seating configuration & others. Perhaps they should make it a members only club.

Shi shi bakery. They're are in most of the square there and have some unique gift offerings. Wonderful for a special gift. Be mindful, if you're white with money, or just money in the 250,000 plus you can visit often. Not in that bracket? Them make it a special treat.

I love this place! Great food, nice staff and beautiful surroundings. Even on a busy day you can still find a place to sit.

I got an oat milk cappuccino, and it tastes like real coffee! Other places give you only milk; this is really delicious.

Groundswell Cafe is the kind of place that requires the accent on the "e" in cafe. When you walk into the restaurant, you will see why it deserves the term "café."

Besides the fine detail to the looks of the establishment, there are little nooks where curated foods are displayed. French potato chips, the first I've seen in the area, are for sale. A reasonable selection of ready-to-go meals are available in a chiller.

The menu has adequate selection. Their chicken salad with a GF wrap, along with two gluten-free chocolate chips cookies, totaled to about $23. While this may be on the pricier side, take into mind that the entire presentation, from entry to leaving with product, is well thought out. This is not just a place to get coffee, it is an experience and a place to be politely noticed, if not seen.

Take some time to realize the finer points of the South Coast, both urban, and in the case of Groundswell, rural.

5 out of 5 stars for sustainability. Their packaging was all compostable. And their side salad dressing should be bought in large quantities and brought home. The only thing that Groundswell is missing is a post-medieval era Danish windmill that also serves as their source for renewable energy.

I love coming to this cafe! It’s a great escape from my busy work life. I especially like that it’s a laptop free environment and I can just enjoy the beautiful space. The pastries, food and coffee are all amazing. Everyone that works there are so incredibly nice and helpful. They let me know that they make all their pastries and bread in house which definitely explains why everything is so delicious.

Beautiful, historical house converted into a gorgeous coffee shop with food options (and a delicious individual sized quiche!).

The owner is also charming and lovely. My first time there I was confused about where to place my order - head left or right once inside the door? A handsome gentleman (who I found out later was the owner) said, "May I help you?" and then kindly ushered me around a milling group to the cashier to place my order and said, charmingly, "I'm the owner - I can do that." 🙂

There is indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating choices include both covered and uncovered seating. I love this place.

A favorite spot for special treats. Croissants as wonderful as Paris.

Love their pastries!!! Staff is amazing and bonus points for them always remembering their customers. Nothing bad to say about this beautiful Cafe.