HomeGround Coffee

HomeGround Coffee at 22 Robertson Drive, Mornington is a social enterprise cafe with a difference: every coffee and meal you buy funds hospitality traineeships for young people facing barriers to work on the Peninsula. Operating since 2018 and backed by the team at Commonfolk Coffee next door in the industry, it has put more than 80 at-risk young people through on-the-job training, and its In This Together volunteer program turns out around 150 meals a week for vulnerable locals.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables on a lead, with water bowls usually available for thirsty visitors. The indoor space is people-only, and because this is a working training cafe with volunteers learning the ropes, a settled dog copes much better than an anxious one. Bring your own bowl on hot days just in case.

Worth knowing

The food is honest and popular: the bacon and egg roll and house-made loaded hash browns with mexican salsa have a following among locals and tradies, and the display cabinet does the rest. Coffee comes via the Commonfolk partnership, roasted locally. Expect a pay-it-forward wall by the counter, where customers buy forwards for people doing it tough. Hours are mornings-only: 7am to 2pm on weekdays, Saturday from 8am to 11am, and closed Sundays, so the weekend visit has to be early.

Getting there and parking

Robertson Drive sits on the Tanti side of Mornington, a short hop off the Nepean Highway end of the town centre, with street and council parking close by. The block is flat and easy for walking a dog in from the car.

Close by with the dogs

Mornington Park and the foreshore are a short drive toward the water for an on-lead coastal stroll, and the off-lead options are close too. Royal Beach Dog Off Leash Area is the nearest sand, Civic Reserve Fenced Dog Park covers fenced off-lead time, and Pine Avenue Reserve is another fenced option nearby. For a second table on Main Street, 2 Left Sisters is a local favourite.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly cafes guide and the Mornington destination page.

Pepsi: this is the rare coffee that pays it forward twice. Buy your dog a bowl of water and your conscience a clean slate, and tip the trainees some patience while they learn.