When cosy Italian restaurant Carmine’s closed last January, it was the end of an era for Aberdeen.
Jessica and Carmine Scarpellino decided to call it a day after serving generations of diners hearty continental fare for 34 years at the Union Terrace institution.
However, the owners of the Common Sense coffee shop across the road have since spent £115,000 bringing it back to life as the heart of their catering business.
It’s now a “dark kitchen”, meaning it sells meals only through delivery and for sale in the adjacent pavilion.
Common Sense owners, Celera, say they opted to transform the unit to cut down on their food miles – and inject life into the struggling city centre.
And the fledgling catering operation is already proving a hit with some high-profile clients.
Why turn Carmine’s into Common Sense ‘dark kitchen’?
The food cooked up in the former restaurant is usually for events at Common Sense and corporate catering elsewhere in the centre.
John Wigglesworth, director of Celera, said basing it across from his coffee shop was “common sense”.
He added: “Step by step we are introducing businesses that support the city centre.
“We work hard to be able to invest in new ventures that are about the community, people living and working in the city centre.”
After getting the keys, Celera carried out a “complete refurbishment”, creating “several jobs”.
How did Common Sense Catering begin?
John explained that the local business had been trying out catering across 2023, and found it “worked very well”.
He said the location gives them the edge over competitors based outside the city, when most events are “within half a mile” of the kitchen.
John added: “This shows what can be done in the city centre with the right planning, effort and energy.”
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Is it a success?
Since launching in recent months, Common Sense Catering has served more than 75 events.
The nearby Fennex software firm and accountants Deloitte have both praised the service.
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