About Us
THE GROUNDS GROUP
We are a hospitality and event organisation that specialises in creating the best possible experiences in beautiful spaces for our guests. Our talented team of passionate and hard-working individuals make The Grounds what it is – a home where creativity thrives.
WHAT WE DO
It all started with a simple idea: to turn a forgotten industrial space into a welcoming sanctuary. Back in 2012, we opened the doors to The Grounds of Alexandria, transforming a former pie factory and its concrete car park into a thriving urban oasis of lush gardens, specialty coffee, and wholesome food. We wanted to create more than just a café; we wanted to build a community.
What began there has since blossomed into The Grounds, a family of unique hospitality venues and experiences across Sydney. While our roots are firmly planted in Alexandria, our passion for creating beautiful, memorable moments has allowed us to grow. Today, The Grounds is celebrated for its immersive experiences, attracting both locals and tourists to our uniquely themed spaces. Recognised as one of the world’s most Instagrammable destinations, we bring stories to life with ever-evolving installations and events, making each visit visually memorable.
From our bustling city escape in the CBD to our dedicated event spaces and beloved local cafés, each location has its own distinct character, but they all share the same heart: a commitment to quality, a love for innovative design, and a dedication to bringing people together. We’re a team of creators, coffee roasters, chefs, and stylists, all working to build experiences that delight, surprise, and feel like coming home.
Our venues offer beautiful settings for any occasion, from weddings to corporate events, expertly managed by The Grounds Events team, who provide creative styling and curated menus. The Grounds Catering extends our culinary experience with a selection of gourmet offerings for pick-up or delivery across Sydney, making every event delightfully unforgettable. And The Grounds Roastery supplies high-quality coffee, fresh bread, and pastries to local cafes through our wholesale service, upholding exceptional quality and providing continuous client support and training.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Grounds?
The Grounds is a Sydney-based hospitality group, best known for our flagship location, The Grounds of Alexandria. We have a family of immersive cafés, restaurants, and stunning event spaces. While each location has a unique identity, they are all connected by our passion for creating exceptional experiences with beautiful food, drinks, and design. However, we do so much more.
When the doors of our first cafe opened in 2012, we realised the safest hands were our own. Every great coffee you’ve ever had from our venues has been meticulously crafted and roasted by the incredible team at The Grounds Roastery. Our in-house bakery & patisserie create some of Sydney’s best baked goods, while The Grounds Catering brings the great taste of The Grounds to your office or doorstep.
Is The Grounds of Alexandria your only venue?
The Grounds of Alexandria was our first and is our most well-known venue, but it’s not our only one! Our family has grown to include The Grounds of the City in the CBD, The Coffee Factory in South Eveleigh and other dedicated spaces. We see The Grounds of Alexandria as the heart of our operations, housing our most iconic eateries, our bakery, and several distinct dining experiences, while our other venues bring a unique slice of The Grounds magic to different parts of Sydney.
Do I need a booking to visit The Grounds of Alexandria?
They are 4 distinct experiences within The Grounds of Alexandria:
The Cafe is our original, bustling eatery, famous for brunch and specialty coffee in a rustic, farmhouse-style setting. Bookings are recommended, but we also take walk-ins.
The Potting Shed is our full-service restaurant, offering a relaxed, sit-down dining experience for lunch and dinner amidst lush greenery and hanging plants. Bookings are highly recommended for our restaurant and bar, especially on weekends. You can book a table via our website.
The Garden is the expansive outdoor garden area. It’s filled with beautiful floral displays, our animal pen, and takeaway food and drink options. It’s open for all customers to explore when we’re not hosting a private event. You can grab takeaway food and drinks from the Garden kiosks and enjoy the scenery.
The laneways that connect our spaces are decorated to a new theme every few months, creating an incredible, immersive display for our customers to walk through! To access them, you need to be a dining customer at one of our venues, or attending an event in the precinct.
We also offer an array of bookable activities and experiences in different parts of the precinct – check out our What’s On page to learn more!
What are the famous themed displays?
One of our signatures at The Grounds of Alexandria is our immersive, themed displays that transform our laneways several times a year. These installations are inspired by stories, seasons, and collaborations, creating a magical, ever-changing world for our guests to explore. To find out what theme is currently on display, visit the What’s On page on our website or follow us on social media.
Can I take photos or videos in your venues?
We love seeing you capture your memories at The Grounds! Personal photography and videography are welcome. However, for any commercial photoshoots, media, or influencer collaborations, permission must be arranged in advance with our marketing team. To protect the experience of all our guests, large-scale equipment, tripods, and drones are not permitted. Any unauthorised photography or filming that breaches our policies will be asked to stop.
How can I find out about all of The Grounds venues?
The best way to explore our entire family of venues is right here on our website! The Dine In page will guide you to the individual pages for each of our locations, where you can find details about their offerings, opening hours, menus, and booking information.
What are your locations?
The Grounds of Alexandria
- The Grounds Cafe – cafe dining & takeaway
- The Potting Shed – restaurant dining
- The Garden – takeaway BBQ, event space by night
- Linseed House – ballroom-style event space
- The Atrium – event space
- The Patio – event space
South Eveleigh
- The Coffee Factory – cafe dining, takeaway, coffee roastery, tours & experiences
- The Eveleigh – ballroom-style event space
Sydney CBD
- The Grounds of the City – restaurant dining
What experiences do you offer at your venues?
From menu specials to immersive venue takeovers, community events & workshops to lavish private dining experiences, there’s always something happening in our venues! To see what’s happening, check out our What’s On page and start planning your visit.
Do you offer wholesale services?
Our wholesale arm, The Grounds Roastery, was founded to not only roast great coffee, but to provide other visionary small businesses with the training & support they need to succeed. We’re committed to quality, sustainability, and fostering a thriving community. With expertise on both sides of the wholesale business, we bring a unique perspective to help your business grow and create outstanding experiences for your customers—helping your business to achieve its dreams too.
Do you offer catering services?
Through The Grounds Catering, we bring the signature magic and flavour of our venues to your home, office, or event space across Sydney. Our talented chefs prepare fresh, beautiful food to make any occasion memorable, whether you’re looking to elevate a corporate event with our popular lunch packs and boardroom platters, or create a stunning centrepiece for a private celebration with one of our famous grazing tables. Our full-service menu covers everything from delicious finger food to complete meals and decadent desserts, all tailored to your needs. Experience the best of The Grounds, effortlessly brought to you, by exploring all our options on our dedicated catering page.
Can I host an event at The Grounds?
Absolutely! We specialise in creating unforgettable events set amongst our beautiful and unique spaces. From magical weddings and engaging corporate functions to milestone celebrations, our dedicated events team is here to bring your vision to life with world-class hospitality. With a range of stunning venues and bespoke packages available, we invite you to explore our offerings and get in touch with our team to start planning your perfect event.
JOIN OUR TEAM
The Grounds has an ever-expanding roster of venues and experiences, and we want an incredible team to match. If you’re an original thinker who loves making someone else’s day that bit more special, we’d love to have you on board.
