​The Daily Grind opens satellite location at Kincardine Hospital

If you enjoy the delicious coffee and food at The Daily Grind in downtown Kincardine, you’ll be excited to know that it has opened a satellite location at the Kincardine Hospital.

Located just around the corner from the gift shop, beside the elevators, it is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday, with Sean Wightman in charge of the operation.

The little shop offers a full menu of coffee and ice coffee, as well as food to go, including pre-packaged sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, granola, cookies, and much more.

Karen Robinson, owner of The Daily Grind, said the new site opened in mid-August as a food and beverage option for the staff at the hospital, the Hawthorne Community Clinic and McKechnie Pharmacy. It’s also available to people who are waiting for appointments or in the emergency room, or visiting a patient.

“I approached the South Bruce Grey Health Centre and spoke to Nancy Shaw (president and chief executive officer) about opening a site at the hospital,” said Robinson.



Sean Wightman (left) and Karen Robinson stand with The Daily Grind sign at the new satellite location at the Kincardine Hospital

“When my Mom was sick last year, I was in and out of the hospital a lot. My Dad and I would sit there for hours and there was nothing around but vending machines. There’s no cafeteria. There’s nothing for people who are waiting in the emergency room, for the volunteers, for family and friends visiting patients at the hospital.

“This is a busy hospital, especially during the summer. There are a lot of people here for appointments, and for the specialist clinics. The hospital needed a service like this.”

Robinson said she plans to have the satellite location open on weekends, and have an honour system for staff, with coffee and snacks available when the shop is closed.

“I also plan to promote it with McKechnie Pharmacy during cold and flu season,” she said. “When people come in for a flu shot, they would receive a voucher for a coffee and a cookie or treat.”



Sean Wightman operates The Daily Grind's little shop at the Kincardine Hospital

Robinson opened The Daily Grind in downtown Kincardine back in December, 2020, in the front of the Sugar Shack Tattoo Parlour. In January, 2022, the tattoo parlour moved and she renovated the back portion, turning it into a seating area for customers.

The downtown coffee shop is open Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All the food is fresh and handmade in the kitchen at the shop, including the best sausage rolls anywhere, made from Robinson’s grandfather’s secret recipe. The cakes are homemade from her grandma’s recipes.

Last year, mainly due to the closure of downtown Kincardine for the reconstruction of Queen Street, Robinson opened The Daily Grind trailer, setting it up at a variety of locations, including Cruise Nights and the Kincardine Scottish Festival. She plans to continue with the trailer but just during the summer.

Robinson works with about a dozen employees, plus four seasonal workers for the trailer.

For more information, check The Daily Grind on Facebook and Instagram, call 226-923-2370 or by E-mail at: thedailygrindkincardine@gmail.com.



Karen Robinson,  owner of The Daily Grind in downtown Kincardine, holds up a coffee beside the sign her father painted for the new location at the Kincardine Hospital



Sean Wightman is ready to serve customers at The Daily Grind in the Kincardine Hospital