Kelowna's O'Rourke's Uptown Market is a Hidden Foodie Gem

An often forgot about, but absolutely delicious market in downtown Kelowna, is a must visit next time you have a few minutes to spare.

O'Rourke's Uptown Market is located at 1315 St. Paul Street (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)

You have probably walked by, driven past, or seen O’Rourke’s Uptown Market on St Paul Street, but have you taken the time to stop and check it out? The market has been a go-to-spot for locals for the past seven and a half years and it is a unique, locally owned and operated business run by Denise and Mike O’Rourke. The couple both have food and grocery backgrounds, as Denise worked at Safeway for 18 years before diving into the entrepreneurship world and Mike sells food to businesses around Kelowna.

The inside of the family run Market (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)

The market is located at 1315 St. Paul Street and when the couple chose it in 2007 it seemed like a prime spot, as development was flourishing in the area.

“Downtown was booming and everything was going gung-ho and there was going to be towers going up and we thought this would be the best location for people living downtown,” explained Denise. “A little urban market where they could pick up local stuff, a one stop shop for dinner, lunches and have something in their community.”

Homemade products available at the Market (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)

The couple took a huge gamble, quit their jobs, and took a leap of faith. In the beginning Denise laughs that she made lots of mistakes but has grown and learned over the years. Initially the concept for the market was to be just a grocery, but the couple were always looking to provide customers with local products and produce, and cater to what people wanted.

The business plan changed quickly, though as Denise saw the demand for hot food and decided to offer a hot menu.

To-go meals available at the Market (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)

“We started doing what people asked us for and they said we would really like some hot food, so we started doing that,” adds Denise. “We bring in stuff that people request, we got rid of some things and added new items. We mainly deal in local products, all of our dairy is local, chicken is local, produce is local and we provide really good quality food to our customers.”

All of the salads are made in house and with locally sourced ingredients from scratch. Denise works not only as the owner but the butcher, the baker and the cashier. She makes all of the stuffing for chickens, marinades, hot meals and more. She jokes that her hat is always changing depending on the day.

In house BBQ items stuffed by the staff at the Market also available for catering (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)

The most popular item on the menu has to be Taco Tuesday, which has been on the menu since the couple began serving hot food many years ago. Repeat customers can be seen lined up on Tuesday to enjoy the delicious tacos and word of mouth has helped the little store see customer growth. Other favourites include the roasted chickens that are available after 4:00 p.m. daily, the homemade lasagna, and to go pastas from the deli case.

Some of the local produce available at the Market (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)

O’Rourke’s Uptown Market also provides catering services and at Christmas time Denise can be found working away in the kitchen with her staff preparing food for up to 150 people. In the summertime they offer a variety of BBQ favourites, special orders and more, all locally sourced. The big difference between O’Rourke’s and other places are the prices. The couple understands the need to be competitive, fair and affordable to their customers. Often you can get a homemade lunch special for as little as six dollars, which includes fresh herbs grown in O’Rourke’s garden outside the shop.

Handmade salads made with local ingredients (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)

Affordability, access and sustainability are qualities the market possess and works towards each and every week.

“Over the past seven years we have sold turkeys, done meat draws and donated over $35,000 to local non-profit groups in the community,” said Denise. “Every week we donate our old produce to TRACS, they come and pick it up and feed it to their rescue bunnies. We make sure we do not have any waste. Our community garden grows herbs for our marinades; we really try to keep it local and fresh.”

Depending on what is in season, you will find it at O’Rourke’s, Denise emphasises that they would never order something like peaches from California. If it is not available, it is not for sale.

More of the items availalbe at the Market (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)

Products at the store are sourced from many different local locations including bread and eggs from Bread on Wheels, the chicken is from a farm in Salmon Arm, the dairy is from Blackwell Dairy and the meat pies from Real Deal Aussie. Whether you are picking up a meal for lunch, some produce on your way home from work, or one of the specialty cheeses, O’Rourke’s Uptown Market is a hidden gem off the beaten path in downtown Kelowna.

Denise busy at work helping a customer (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)

A few weeks ago, KelownaNow wrote an article a unique French restaurant in downtown Kelowna, as part of our bi-weekly restaurant features.

Do you know of any fun and yummy restaurants to check out in our community? Let us know in the Facebook comment section or by e-mailing KelownaNow at news@kelownanow.com.