A husband and wife from Aberdeen that launched their own bike and coffee shop in the summer are delighted with the feedback received on their new joint venture.
Pam and David Stephenson launched Ground Bike and Coffee in mid-June after David, “a very keen cyclist”, struggled to find somewhere in the city that offered a quality level of service for bike repairs and servicing.
Teamed with his wife’s passion for baking and cooking, the couple decided to bite the bullet and open a bike and coffee shop, which is now situated on North Deeside Road in Bieldside.
Around £90K has been invested in the fit-out and equipment for Ground Bike and Coffee and it took just three months (starting in March) to bring the venue to life.
The coffee shop is open from 9.30am – 4pm Tuesday to Sunday and the bike workshop is open from 9am – 5pm Tuesday to Saturday.
Local, delicious and rustic
The majority of the dishes and bakes are made on-site at Ground Bike and Coffee, however Pam was passionate about supporting local producers as well.
There are also coffees, teas, hot chocolates and soft drinks available, hundreds of which are sold on a weekly basis.
Pam, a biomedical scientist by trade, said: “Ground Bike and Coffee offers fantastic, locally roasted coffee supplied by Figment Coffee, as well as a wide range of other drinks and food.
“Our focus for food is locally-sourced produce that is delicious and rustic! When it comes to our cakes and bakes, they are irresistible and generous.
“A lot of our dishes are made on-site but when it comes to the cakes we wanted to support local, fabulous bakers so selected a couple to come along for the journey and they are brilliant. They include Nannie Annie Bakes and Cake Me Happy.”
‘Let’s not forget about the workshop’
While the coffee shop is a big part of the venture, Pam emphasised the importance of the workshop, managed by Steven Massey, side of the business which stemmed from her husband.
“He was struggling to find somewhere in Aberdeen that had availability and offered a good level of service for bike repairs and servicing,” said Pam. “As a result, he started doing all this himself and talked about the potential for opening an independent shop somewhere in or near the city.
“Having spoken to a couple of friends and myself at length over some time, the idea of a bike and coffee shop seemed to be the answer.”
The couple, both passionate about cycling and great coffee and food, knew that opening the shop in Bieldside was a great opportunity to offer something that they felt was much needed.
Pam continued: “The bike workshop is a big part of our business. We firmly believe we offer the best bicycle service and repairs in the city. We care about every single thing we do and our reputation is hugely important to us.”
Only the beginning
In such a short space of time, Ground Bike and Coffee has received great feedback from the community.
With that said, Pam and David already have their sights set on a second location.
“It’s only early days, but the feedback we’ve had, for both the bike workshop and the coffee shop, has been fantastic,” Pam said.
“Our lovely customers have made it all worthwhile and, being from the area, it’s great seeing and catching up with some old faces.
“Family and friends love it. When they all descend it’s like being in your own living room and everyone loves the special vibe we create in the lovely space at Ground.
“We’ve started with a fairly modest shop (to test the water if you will) and firmly believe this is the beginning. We are always on the lookout for the next Ground Bike and Coffee location.”