est. 2022 - Present
Greetings all! Our story begins in September 2022 when our family purchased this lovely little café in Grand Bend, Ontario. We are a family of six from Zurich and we love coffee! We are so excited to now be involved in the community and hope to meet everyone soon!
Jenn Ramer will be the familiar face at Highway Girl and she is excited to start her journey as a barista! Jenn just finished up a 20+ year career in the education system and was ready for a change. When the previous owners, Ingrid and Raegan Hayter indicated their desire to sell, we thoughtfully considered the decision and ultimately decided that this would be a great opportunity for our family and the timing was right. Jenn's oldest daughter Morgan has experience working at Highway Girl and this really helped create a smooth transition.
Highway Girl Café will continue to offer all of your favourite gluten-free and vegan options and of course all of your favourite coffee beverages! We are also looking forward to branching out and trying new things in the future. We are SO excited about this opportunity and cannot wait to see what the future has in store for us!
The Ramer's
Our Story 2.0
est. 2020 - 2022
Hello everyone! Our story begins in December of 2020 when our family purchased this sweet little café. We are a family of five that love to travel and seek out cafés at each stop. Making connections and sharing coffee and treats with the locals has enhanced our experiences, and we hope to do the same here in Grand Bend.
Heres a little info about us! We have lived in Grand Bend our whole lives, and theres no place we'd rather be! Ingrid and Raegan Hayter are the new owners, we are a mother - daughter duo taking this on to have some fun and share new opportunities together as a family. Raegan is currently a full time student in teachers college at Brock University. Covid-19 has allowed her to study online and work at the café. She will graduate in 2022 as a high school teacher with plans to stay in the Grand Bend area. She is passionate about serving others whether that is through customer service at the café or with her students in the classroom! Ingrid just "retired" from her almost 30 year dental career, ending at the oral and maxillofacial department at University Hospital in London to pursue this dream of her's to own a café and share yummy beverages and conversation with our community!
Highway Girl Café will continue to offer all of your favourite gluten free and vegan options, along with a couple personal additions. Our signature GF morning glory and chocolate zucchini muffins are a local favourite! Come out, say hi, stay for breakfast/lunch(on our new patio...coming Spring 2021), or grab any of your favourite espresso fixes here.
Thank you for supporting local!
Photos by: @meaganmcteerphoto
ingrid and rae, xo
Our Story
est. 2017 - 2020
Eating out is one of life’s pleasures. But for people with food allergies or sensitivities, it can be a challenge. Now a café in Grand Bend is answering this challenge with a variety of delicious, healthy choices. Highway Girl Café offers a range of menu items to suit all lifestyles and includes options for vegan, raw and gluten-free diets.
“I really want to provide an opportunity for people to eat well and have healthier options,” says owner Rebecca Towns. For Towns, who is unable to eat wheat, dairy and sugar, understands this challenge from personal experience. She is also a mom of six children who have a variety of food sensitivities. “My children and I can’t just go and eat anywhere. I’ve always made our meals from scratch and I’m incorporating that into the cafe. This is something I’ve wanted to do for many years.”
Since the launch of Highway Girl in September of 2017 providing food at the highest quality while supporting other local businesses has always been a major focus. Highway Girl supplies coffee from O-Joes in Mount Brydes, teas and wellness products from New New Age in Otter Fiver Valley, kombucha from Booch in London, pressed juice from Pulp and Press in London, fresh baked bread from Downie Street Bakehouse in Stratford, fresh greens from Plover Mills Farm in Thorndale, salsa and guacamole from Bushy’s in Grand Bend, dips and cheeses from Carmela’s in London, and coconut yogurt from Deebs in Toronto.
In September of 2019, Highway Girl found it’s new home on 18 eighty-one crescent in Grand Bend, Ontario. Highway Girl Café continues to offer excellent coffee and espresso, healthy smoothies, a wide variety of gluten-free and vegan baked goods and deserts and delicious sandwiches!