Tucked across from Fisherman’s Wharf Park (at 31 Erie Street) lies a small cafe with a big heart: Imagine Studio Café. Warm, welcoming, and deeply meaningful, this local gem serves up homemade comfort food with a mission behind every piping hot latte and fresh fruit muffin it sells.
At the heart of it all is the founder and operator Dorothy, who opened Imagine Café in 2013 with a simple yet powerful vision: to be a teaching classroom that provides vulnerable youth—notably those coming out of foster care, addiction, or street life—a real chance to build job skills, confidence, and community.
Dorothy recognized that after aging out of care, many young people were falling through the cracks. They needed more than good advice—they needed experience, support, and someone who believed in them. At Imagine Studio Café, they get all three.
The café pays, supports, and mentors each student through hands-on kitchen and front-of-house work. Some are shy at first, struggling with confidence or past trauma. But under Dorothy’s steady guidance, they grow by learning how to make soup from scratch, to plate bannock burgers with pride, and to greet customers with a smile. “We see incredible transformation here,” Dorothy says. “It’s not just about the food—it’s about restoring belief in themselves.”
The cafés seasonally changing menus focuses on fresh, locally sourced traditional fare including creative soups, fresh sandwiches, and tasty wood fire pizzas that are prepared individually using hand-stretched dough. Then there’s the legendary bannock, a part of many of Imagine Cafés offerings…
They serve this golden, warm, updated version of traditional Indigenous fry bread alongside soup, in sandwiches, and as the base for their signature Bannock Burgers, which locals rave about. Bannock is both a crowd-pleaser and a cultural nod to both the area, and the many Indigenous youths who have, and still mentor at, the café.
It’s easy to see that Imagine Studio isn’t just a café—it’s also a community project, a training ground, and a welcome home for students, both past and present.
As one former student, Jessica, puts it: “Before Imagine, I didn’t think I had anything to offer. Dorothy helped me find my voice—and now I’m a full-time baker. I owe her everything.”
Another, Nathan, shares: “I used to be terrified to talk to people. Now I’m behind the counter every day, making coffee and cracking jokes. It changed my life.”
At Hidden Victoria, we’re proud to support Imagine Studio Café by including them on our Bites and Sights cruise ship walking tours. Guests love hearing their inspiring story while sampling bannock served with fresh Vancouver Island berries and cream, with many citing the visit to Imagine Studio Cafe being a key memory of their holiday.
So whether you join us on a HIDDEN VICTORIA tour or venture there on your own, on your next visit to James Bay be sure to stop by Imagine Studio Café for a wonderful meal, great cup of coffee, and a warm welcome from some nice people.
Who knows? You might even get to say hello to Dorothy!
Visit Imagine Studio Cafe’s website HERE