Perk Coffee & Doughnuts in Inverness last night introduced its unique new business concept for customers.
The eatery, located on Church Street, will be transforming into a trendy espresso martini bar for four evenings per week – from 4pm to 11pm Thursday to Sunday.
The concept, named Perk by Night, was thought up by owner Nicole Mclennan, who opened the cafe in October 2018.
Nicole from Inverness has been in the food and drink industry for around 14 years and has wanted to bring the concept to fruition since launching her cafe.
“I have had the idea for an espresso martini bar by night since the beginning of Perk,” the 29-year-old said.
“We used to bake the doughnuts here, which meant there was no space for seating.
“Once I managed to get a kitchen offsite, we renovated with the bar in mind so that we could operate as a cafe by day and bar by night.”
Perk by Night
Perk Coffee & Doughnuts will continue to operate as a cafe from 8.30am to 3pm daily and has a capacity of 16 – 12 seats inside and four outside – and boasts a team of eight.
Customers stopping by within the cafe hours will have the opportunity to tuck into a choice of six doughnuts – two being vegan and dairy-free – as well as a selection of toasties, sandwiches and creative bakes.
Doughnut flavours at Perk Coffee & Doughnuts change regularly and have included everything from a classic cinnamon sugar ring to doughnuts featuring Nutella, lemon, Kinder Bueno, peanut butter and jelly, jam, Milkybar, and more.
Perk by Night, on the other hand, will involve the team serving up espresso martinis made using coffee from Scottish firm Dear Green, which is already brewed in Perk daily.
Mini doughnuts, dessert-like cocktails – including a Biscoff martini, affogato, ‘It’s Caffeinated’ and ‘All I Ever Almond’ – and mini doughnut bites will also be available.
Nicole added: “For those that aren’t coffee fans, we have a small selection of wine, beer, fizz, mocktails and soft drinks, too.
“Perk by Night brings my worlds together and makes the most of the great location we have.
“I had to teach myself how to make doughnuts and learn the craft for Perk, but working in the evenings making cocktails is what I know – it’s what I did up until Perk was created.
“I also love espresso martinis, so that helps too!
“We open at 4pm, so you could pop in before your dinner or pop by after for a post-dinner treat.”
The menu was created by bartender Oliwia Jagielo, while the concept and some flavour ideas came from Nicole herself.
The cocktail prices range from £8.50 to £11.50. Mini doughnuts are priced at £2.50 each or £7 for three.
Nicole said: “There really wasn’t much training needed.
“We all discussed the way in which we wanted the bar by night to operate and what spirits we wanted to use, but Oliwia knows her way around a cocktail bar so it was an easy adjustment for us.”
Soft launch
Nicole hosted a soft launch last weekend, which she described as “incredible and overwhelming”.
“This really has been in the grand plan for years, so to finally serve drinks felt a bit surreal,” she added. “People loved the atmosphere!
“I’m so excited about being able to create an intimate, friendly and joyful place to come and enjoy a drink with friends.
“We have more plans in the making which may involve hiring out the space for parties, so there is lots of room for growth. Watch this space!”
Tables for Perk by Night at Perk Coffee & Doughnuts are available on a first come, first served basis and will not be available for bookings.
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