Grounds for Coffee
Grounds for Coffee is a Vancouver-based bakery cafe founded in 1993, operating two retail locations and a wholesale channel serving businesses across British Columbia and Alberta with hand-crafted cinnamon buns, coffee, pizza dough, and bakery products.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Grounds for Coffee does
Grounds for Coffee is a Vancouver-based specialty bakery and cafe founded in 1993 by Dan Hilton after he transitioned from a career in banking. The company operates two physical cafe locations in Vancouver — the flagship at 2565 Alma Street (10th & Alma) in Point Grey and a second location at 2088 Commercial Drive (The Drive), opened in 2019 — and runs a wholesale distribution program that supplies its signature cinnamon buns to businesses across British Columbia and Alberta. Its product portfolio is anchored by hand-crafted cinnamon buns made daily from a proprietary recipe, supplemented by organic Arabica coffee, Swiss Water decaffeinated coffee, specialty drinks, muffins (flax, superfruit, espresso chocolate banana), savory items (wraps, calzones, flatbread), seasonal bun varieties (Apple Pie, Pumpkin, Chocolate Snow, Easter Mini Bunnies, Love Buns), and a fresh pizza dough line introduced in 2021.
The business runs a direct-to-consumer model that combines in-store retail, online ordering via a website and a custom iOS/Android mobile app, and an ecommerce gift card program. The mobile app, launched in 2020 and built on the Smoothpay platform, provides order-ahead functionality, mobile payments, a loyalty rewards program, and a referral bonus (free coffee for both referrer and referee upon first order). Digital ordering is augmented by Smooth Menu for menu display and delivery coordination, with free delivery offered on orders of $60 or more to commercial addresses in select Vancouver zones on certain days. E-gift cards are processed through the Givex ecommerce platform. Sustainability practices include organic coffee sourcing, glass water bottles, compostable cutlery, Eco Chit receipts (which fund tree planting), and community donations to organizations such as the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation.
Revenue is generated through four streams: in-store retail at the two cafes, wholesale bulk cinnamon bun distribution to B.C. and Alberta businesses (subject to wholesale account approval), e-gift card sales, and transaction-fee-based online ordering and delivery. Customer segmentation is hybrid and includes local Vancouver consumers (primary), wholesale business customers across two provinces, and health-conscious consumers seeking vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. Ownership is concentrated with founder Dan Hilton, with no disclosed institutional investment, parent company, or external funding rounds. Recent operational decisions include reducing loyalty points earned from 10 to 5 per dollar in October 2024 and discontinuing the free birthday cinnamon bun promotion in August 2025, both attributed to rising staff and operational costs.
Grounds for Coffee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Grounds for Coffee
- Legal name
- Grounds for Coffee Inc.
- Website
- https://groundsforcoffee.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Grounds for Coffee is a Vancouver-based bakery cafe founded in 1993, operating two retail locations and a wholesale channel serving businesses across British Columbia and Alberta with hand-crafted cinnamon buns, coffee, pizza dough, and bakery products.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Grounds for Coffee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Bakery and Cafe
- NAICS
- Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cafe-Bakeries (Bakery + Coffee/Foodservice) (THAFAFAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Dessert Cafes (Coffee + Desserts) (THAFADAH), Specialty Dietary Bakeries (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergen-Friendly) (THAFAFAI), Cookie & Brownie Shops (THAFAGAF)
Keywords
Where Grounds for Coffee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Grounds for Coffee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail In-Store Sales: Direct retail sales of cinnamon buns, coffee, and food items at two physical cafe locations in Vancouver. Customers can purchase in-person or order ahead for pickup.
- Wholesale Buns Distribution: Wholesale distribution of cinnamon buns to businesses across B.C. and Alberta. Businesses can apply through the wholesale application form on the website.
- E-Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold through Givex platform for gifting cinnamon buns and beverages.
- Online Ordering and Delivery: Online ordering through website and mobile app with pickup in store or fee-based delivery. Free delivery to commercial addresses on orders $60+ for select locations and times.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for cinnamon buns and food items |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Grounds for Coffee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Grounds for Coffee operates two Vancouver bakery-cafe locations selling handcrafted cinnamon buns, organic Arabica coffee and specialty beverages, muffins, savory wraps/flatbreads, pizza dough, and seasonal baked goods to walk-in and online-ordering consumers. The company supplements retail with wholesale distribution of cinnamon buns to businesses across British Columbia and Alberta, and sells digital gift cards through the Givex platform, with its own iOS/Android mobile app enabling order-ahead, loyalty rewards, and pickup/delivery.
Product overview
Grounds for Coffee is a Vancouver-based bakery cafe founded in 1993, operating as a single-brand retail operation with two physical cafe locations. The company's core product is its hand-crafted cinnamon buns, supplemented by coffee and specialty beverages, fresh muffins, savory food items (wraps, calzones, flatbread), and seasonal flavor variations. The business extends through a mobile app (iOS/Android) enabling order-ahead, loyalty rewards, and delivery coordination, an ecommerce gift card system powered by Givex, and a wholesale program supplying buns to businesses across BC and Alberta. The product portfolio is unified around the signature cinnamon bun as the central offering, with adjacent food/beverage categories and digital ordering/delivery infrastructure supporting both retail and wholesale distribution channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cinnamon Buns Handcrafted, locally sourced cinnamon buns baked daily; marketed as the 'World's Best Cinnamon Bun' and sold through both Vancouver cafe locations.
- Seasonal Cinnamon Buns Limited-edition flavored cinnamon buns released throughout the year (e.g., Love Buns for Valentine's, Rainbow Easter Mini Bunnies, Apple Pie Buns, Pumpkin Buns, Chocolate Snow Buns).
- Coffee and Specialty Drinks Specialty coffee beverages and teas made from 100% premium, ethically sourced, organic Arabica coffee beans, including Swiss Water decaffeinated options and dairy-free menu items.
- Pizza Dough Fresh pizza dough sold at Grounds for Coffee cafe locations for customers preparing homemade pizza at home.
- Muffins Assorted muffins including Healthy Choice Flax Muffins, Superfruit Muffins, and Espresso Chocolate Banana Muffins.
- Savory Food Items Hearty wraps, calzones, all-day breakfast buns, vegetarian flatbread, vegan/veggie wraps, and vegan cheese buns served at cafe locations.
- E-Gift Cards Digital gift cards for purchasing cinnamon buns, food, and beverages at Grounds for Coffee, powered by the Givex ecommerce platform.
- Wholesale Buns Bulk cinnamon bun distribution to businesses across British Columbia and Alberta for resale, gated by a wholesale application and approval process.
- Grounds for Coffee Mobile App iOS and Android mobile app enabling order-ahead, loyalty points collection, referral bonuses, in-app payments, and order status tracking; built on the Smoothpay platform.
Companies that use Grounds for Coffee
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Grounds for Coffee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature1 record
Grounds for Coffee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GivexcoreGivex is used as the ecommerce service provider powering the online store and e-gift cards. They provide high levels of security and encryption for credit card processing.
- Dr. Peter AIDS FoundationminorGrounds for Coffee is a proud supporter of the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation, donating time and fundraising efforts to their cause.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Grounds for Coffee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Purebread Bakery: Vancouver specialty bakery-cafe known for handcrafted sweet and savory baked goods served in a cafe setting. Closest local comparable on the bakery-led, health-and-wholesome-ingredient positioning Grounds for Coffee emphasizes.
- Blenz Coffee: Vancouver-based specialty coffee chain with multiple Lower Mainland cafes. Comparable as a regional cafe competitor combining premium coffee with bakery/food items in a comparable price-and-experience band.
- Krispy Kreme: Specialty doughnut and coffee chain combining freshly made sweet baked goods with cafe-style beverage service. Operates at retail and wholesale via grocery distribution — directly analogous to Grounds for Coffee's retail-plus-B2B-wholesale model.
- Cinnabon: Global cinnamon-roll specialty chain. Most directly comparable peer based on signature-product overlap with Grounds for Coffee: both anchor their brand identity on a single cinnamon-based pastry item, supported by adjacent beverages.
- JJ Bean Coffee Roaster: Vancouver-headquartered specialty coffee roaster with cafe locations across the city, pairing house-roasted coffee with a baked-goods program. Highly comparable given shared Vancouver geography, cafe + bakery model, and locally-rooted brand ethos.
Broad incumbents
- Tim Hortons: Dominant Canadian coffee and baked-goods QSR chain with nationwide reach. Competes for the same breakfast/snack occasion across retail and wholesale (grocery) channels, but at vastly broader scale and price point.
- Starbucks: Global coffee-and-food cafe incumbent. Overlaps with Grounds for Coffee on the cafe-bakery offering surface (coffee + pastries/food), though at vastly different price, scale, and digital-infrastructure maturity.
Others
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster with direct-to-consumer cafe locations. Comparable on the ethically sourced, premium organic Arabica coffee program Grounds for Coffee highlights, but operates as a coffee-led concept rather than a bakery-led cafe.
Emerging players
- Cartems Donuterie: Vancouver-based craft donut and coffee shop. Comparable Vancouver geography and premium 'handmade single-category pastry + coffee' positioning, though specialty-fried-doughnut rather than cinnamon-bun-led.
Regional players
- Faubourg: Pacific Northwest / Greater Vancouver bakery-cafe chain serving pastries, savories, and coffee. Comparable cafe-bakery hybrid operating in an adjacent Vancouver-adjacent market with similar product mix and customer occasion.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Grounds for Coffee social profiles
Digital presenceGrounds for Coffee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Grounds for Coffee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Grounds for Coffee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Grounds for Coffee M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Grounds for Coffee
What does Grounds for Coffee do?
Grounds for Coffee operates two Vancouver bakery-cafe locations selling handcrafted cinnamon buns, organic Arabica coffee and specialty beverages, muffins, savory wraps/flatbreads, pizza dough, and seasonal baked goods to walk-in and online-ordering consumers. The company supplements retail with wholesale distribution of cinnamon buns to businesses across British Columbia and Alberta, and sells digital gift cards through the Givex platform, with its own iOS/Android mobile app enabling order-ahead, loyalty rewards, and pickup/delivery.
Is Grounds for Coffee a public or private company?
Grounds for Coffee is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Grounds for Coffee founded?
Grounds for Coffee was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Grounds for Coffee based?
Grounds for Coffee is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Grounds for Coffee make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail In-Store Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale Buns Distribution, E-Gift Cards and online Ordering and Delivery.
Who are Grounds for Coffee's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Purebread Bakery, Blenz Coffee, Krispy Kreme, Cinnabon and JJ Bean Coffee Roaster. Broad incumbents are Tim Hortons and Starbucks. Stumptown Coffee Roasters is listed as an others. Cartems Donuterie is listed as an emerging player. Faubourg is listed as a regional player.
Does Grounds for Coffee have an API?
No public API is recorded for Grounds for Coffee.
What industry is Grounds for Coffee in?
Grounds for Coffee's product category is Specialty Bakery and Cafe. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAFAG, Cafe-Bakeries (Bakery + Coffee/Foodservice), with a secondary code of CRAHAGAI, Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories). Its NAICS code is 311811 and its SIC code is 5812.