The No43 Brew Bar are celebrating their first birthday on St Winifred’s Avenue in Harrogate.
Since opening then they have become a busy coffee shop and an important part of the community as a meeting place.
Simon Somerville-Frost took a decision to career change from managing the Baroque hair salon in town, to opening up the coffee shop. A shop unit became available on the street where he lived and he took the opportunity.
See New independent Coffee Shop opens on the Saints area of Harrogate from May 2018.
Simon said:
I had lived on the street for six years and during that time rarely spoke to any of our neighbours, but that has now changed.
The coffee shop has given many the confidence to come out and talk, we have new mums, older people, teenagers – a real mix of people come to us.
I really couldn’t be happier in what it has become in the year since it has opened, it has become a valued part of the community.
At the start I didn’t know how it would go, but people have just been very supportive.
Also I have used social media to build a following and that has worked well. I have posted picture and updates in the way that I would like to see them myself and that seems to have attracted people’s interest.
The business has seen a steady growth over the year with a development of an outside area, with the help of a customer building some of the furniture.
Simon added:
In the year we have kept about 80% of the same suppliers, with the same coffee blend. We have expanded the cake election with gluten and vegan.
We have remained affordable and high quality, while I like the town centre of Harrogate, am not sure we would work there, partly due to the overheads.
We have kept small and worked to an ethos of being welcoming to all. Since opening we have expanded to have 5 of us working here and now have customers that travel from Wetherby and Ripon.
We had a great first summer and would love to expand, but it isn’t something that we can just pick-up and move that easily.
Colette and Chris Lain have been regular customers since opening.
Colette Lain said:
This place is Simon and not just a coffee shop – he has become a friendly and popular person in the community.
Simon also keeps the attention to the details and we come here about twice a week.
Over Christmas he paid for a choir and over 100 came down and helped raise money for charity.
