OKGN To Go
Food For Everyone
One of the biggest challenges in the restaurant industry is deciding who your customer is. Some businesses focus on families. Others cater to steak lovers, health-conscious diners, or those looking for a quick meal on the go.
But what if you tried to create food for everyone? That was the challenge owner and chef Colleen Risbey set for herself when she opened OKGN To Go inside the Oliver Visitor Centre at 6431 Station Street.
OKGN To Go, has been operating since September 2025 and has quickly developed a loyal local following. Originally, Colleen prepared fresh lunch bowls and delivered them personally throughout the community, but demand eventually became so strong that she had to stop delivering altogether because she couldn’t keep up!
These days, customers can still order ahead and have their food ready for pickup, but keeping up with the growing customer base has become a full-time job all by itself without having to worry about making dozens of deliveries a day.
Colleen operates the business entirely on her own, which means she shops, preps, cooks and cleans up everything herself, every single workday (my back and feet hurt just thinking about it).
Before arriving in Oliver, Colleen started her food career in Montreal, working in fine dining and higher-end restaurants while learning the skills and techniques that would shape her cooking style.
After finishing university, she spent five years travelling and working in a variety of kitchens, learning different cuisines and approaches to food along the way. Her travels eventually took her from Hawaii to Oliver in 2023, where she fell in love with the people, the scenery, the weather, and the relaxed lifestyle that makes this area so special.
Three years later, she’s built a business that not only challenges her creativity but also allows her to help people through food.
Sheldon Herman photo
What makes OKGN To Go unique is that Colleen has developed a menu designed to accommodate nearly everyone. Whether you’re a carnivore, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose intolerant, or simply someone looking for a healthy lunch, there’s something on the menu for you. This isn’t “hippy” food, it’s inclusive food that speaks and is available to everyone without any reduction in quality or flavour.
As someone who has been required to eat and sample foods I didn’t like or foods designed around specific dietary restrictions, the flavours and textures and overall “enjoyment” can sometimes feel like a compromise. We’ve all had gluten-free products that taste like cardboard or vegan desserts that leave you wondering what exactly went wrong and why anyone would voluntarily consume such bland, tasteless and dissatisfying foodstuffs. Thankfully, that isn’t the case here.
I tried both Colleen’s banana bread and chocolate brownie, and if I hadn’t been told they were designed to satisfy a variety of dietary needs, I never would have guessed. They had all the flavour, texture, and satisfaction you would expect from recipes handed down by your mom or grandmother, without feeling like substitutions had been made simply for the sake of accommodating dietary restrictions.
But the real stars of the menu are her fresh bowls.
Her best seller is the Noodle Bowl, which features vermicelli noodles, crisp vegetables, and a house-made sesame dressing. What stood out immediately wasn’t just the flavour but the freshness. The vegetables had a crunch that made them taste as though they had been picked from a backyard garden only moments before.
Everything worked together perfectly, creating a lunch that felt light, refreshing, and satisfying at the same time. It’s the kind of meal that’s perfect for a picnic, a post-bike-ride recharge, or those evenings when you’ve spent the entire day working and simply don’t feel like cooking.
Despite these reviews being a passion project of mine, there are times when I ask myself why I continue doing them. They take a significant amount of time each week, and occasionally I wonder “What’s the point?” Then I meet people like Colleen.
Entrepreneurs who work alone, care deeply about what they do, and pour everything they have into building something meaningful within our community. Meeting people like that reminds me why these articles exist in the first place. If writing this review helps her gain one new customer, then the time spent writing it was worthwhile.
In a small town, the best advertising has always been word of mouth, and in the food world, the best way to get people talking is to feed them well.
So whether you have dietary restrictions, food allergies, or simply appreciate fresh, thoughtfully prepared food, make your way to OKGN To Go and see what Colleen has created. While you’re there, take a moment to admire the beautiful mural surrounding her kitchen, which she painted herself and when you do, tell her Sheldon sent you.
OKGN To Go is located inside the Oliver Visitor Centre at 6431 Station Street and is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm.
Sheldon Herman is the author of the multi award-winning, international best-selling book “The Tortured Traveller: How I Survived the Worst Vacation Ever,” and has eaten his way through over 60 countries. This review was written independently and without compensation. Have a restaurant you’d like featured? Email [email protected].
