Always on
This project successfully funded on 21st May 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
Help Us Bring the Gluten-Free Café Back to Fife
Dunfermline, Fife, United Kingdom
Aim
Help us reopen a 100% gluten-free Café / Bistro or Restaurant in Fife!
Hi, I'm Jio, former owner of Plaza Real – Fife’s only 100% gluten-free café in Dunfermline. After nearly a year and a half of pouring our hearts into the business, we made the difficult decision to sell in November 2025.
The café was far more than just a business to us. It was a safe space where people with coeliac disease and gluten intolerances could eat without fear of cross-contamination. We served delicious homemade gluten-free cakes, toasties, scones, and great coffee that even non-gluten-free customers loved, many couldn’t tell the difference from “normal” food.
Our mission was always to break the taboo around gluten-free eating and show that it can be tasty, high-quality, and enjoyable for everyone. We built a warm community hub and a loyal customer base that we’re incredibly proud of. Plaza Real also became a destination. Visitors from outside Dunfermline would plan their trips around us, and many ended up exploring the town, discovering its history, shops, and attractions.
It brought new footfall and supported the local economy in a meaningful way. Running a dedicated 100% gluten-free café comes with significantly higher costs specialist ingredients, strict hygiene protocols, and no shared supplies. Combined with rising prices and thin margins, it was a constant financial challenge. In the end, the exhaustion and impact on my health led us to step away, which we trully regret.
We’re now ready for a fresh start back in Fife. We want to open a new gluten-free café with a bigger focus on food, alongside our popular cakes and coffee.
Our goal is to create another welcoming, safe space for the coeliac community while raising awareness of coeliac disease and showing how good gluten-free food can truly be.
The funds we raise will help cover the essential startup costs, including legal fees, plumbing and electrical work, brand new equipment (oven, fridge, baking equipment), tables and chairs, basic decorations, and other necessary setup needs totalling £15,000. ( UPDATE! I NEED TO RAISE £15000, AND NOT £26500. THE FLATFORM DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO LOWER THE AMOUNT I AM TRYING TO RAISE)
In return for your support:
- Every donor will receive a voucher for a free coffee and cake once we reopen.
- For those who can’t visit, we’ll send two items by post as a thank you.
We know times are tough for many people right now. Please don’t donate if money is tight, sharing this page would mean the world and help us reach those who might be able to support us.
Your kindness could help us restart, create jobs, bring more visitors to Dunfermline, and most importantly give the coeliac community in Fife a dedicated, safe place to enjoy great food again.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading the story. I'm so grateful for any support, big or small.
Wishing you all a lovely day!
Jio
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made