If you’re planning a visit to the Sunshine Coast of BC, allow me to shine some light on a cafe that you simply must try during your time here. First, a little backstory.
Joe De Leo
From the age of fourteen, Joe De Leo knew he wanted to help people, even if it was as a simple dishwasher in a restaurant. Through trial and error, and learning from his peers, by his mid-twenties Joe had become a partial owner of a restaurant in Roberts Creek called The Gumboot Garden Cafe.
Becoming an owner is a giant leap from his humble beginnings as a dishwasher, and it all started when he moved away from Vancouver to the picturesque Sunshine Coast of BC. He was hired at the now iconic cafe in the creek during the late 1990s, and within four years was offered partial ownership.
The rest is history.
Although Joe’s first love is music, the focal point of his career has been creating delectable dishes in the kitchen. Behind the scenes of the adored Gumboot Cafe is an owner who spends up to twelve hours a day cooking up a storm, and loving every minute of it.
As Joe says, “it never gets boring” and it’s still enjoyable even after he gets home to his family following a long work day. Some may think of working in a cafe and imagine chaos and overwhelm, but the Gumboot cultivates warmth of community and a laid-back atmosphere for their customers.
Pictured: The “Buddha Benny” at the Gumboot Cafe in Roberts Creek.
Top Notch Menu
Joe insists that he is not a “Chef”, since he hasn’t had formal training, but he’s thought of as one by his many loyal patrons at the cafe. The Gumboot offers an assortment of soups, pizzas, salads, desserts, and so much more. The quality of the food served is testament enough of the love, care, and skill that goes into each menu item prepared by Joe and his team.
Throughout the warmer months the ingredients are sourced as locally as possible, sometimes including vegetables from Joe’s garden, and more often including donations of produce from local vendors “knocking on the back door”. Fresh eggs transform the quality of any dish, and all of the eggs at the cafe are retrieved from a farm just seven kilometers up the road.
The Gumboot is a charming place to wake up with a coffee, enjoy high quality, filling, and unique ingredient combinations, host a small business meeting, or study for school. This little cafe can do it all.
Opportunities for Local Artists
It is also a place for local artists to showcase their collections on the otherwise empty walls, and is known as an intimate venue for live music. On April 1, 2023, the cafe saw its first live performance since pre-pandemic times.
Thanks to his connections with the Vancouver Music Festival ‘across the pond’, the cafe has benefited from the overspill of artists from said festival who’d like a good way to spend a couple of days between shows. Joe says that the Gumboot has hosted all kinds of artists including locals; some of which being his own staff members.
If a barista has a song they’d like to sing, he’ll accompany them with his guitar.
It’s rare to find a cafe that functions so efficiently as a business in addition to thriving as a group of like-minded people. You can feel the good vibes being spread over the counter to their customers as well.
Dreams of Tomorrow
The Gumboot Garden Cafe isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Joe shares that he has dreams for the cafe to adopt a more pub-like feel by staying open later into the evening. Although the cafe is licensed to serve alcohol, it closes at 4:00pm daily and isn’t open on Tuesdays. Extending hours could broaden the cafe’s appeal for a larger clientele, and you can’t have too much of a good thing.
Pictured: Pizza and cupcakes made in-house at the Gumboot Cafe in Roberts Creek.
Check out their slices of the day when you visit!
Thanks to Joe’s incredible people skills, intuition, and patience in the kitchen, the Gumboot cafe has become an iconic fixture in the heart of Roberts Creek. The cafe has become a place to call home for so many, and acts as a catalyst for community and connection.
“I couldn’t count on all my digits how many people met here and got married, and had children.” Joe says during our interview seated at a wooden picnic table behind the cafe. The attention to detail in not only the cooking but also in the atmosphere created with music and the camaraderie between staff members makes this establishment a rare haven for locals and tourists alike.
Circa 2021 (Our first visit to the Gumboot)
The Gumboot Garden Cafe is the perfect centerpiece to the surrounding Roberts Creek area, home to many independent businesses that encourage local artisans and a more grounded approach to life. The Creek is full of like-minded people who value community, nature, peace of mind, and who practice gratitude for being able to live and work in one of the most beautiful spots along the west coast of Canada.
May you be able to visit the Sunshine Coast soon, and make sure to include Roberts Creek on your list of places to enjoy while here. Who knows, you may even catch a glimpse of Joe cooking up something special in his favourite place; the Gumboot Garden Cafe.
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