Sean Williams and Megan McFarlane are still rubbing their eyes.
They are the latest pop-up tenants at 70 Hyndland Road on the parade next to Old Station Park.
It’s a great location for a young business that hasn’t had the easiest of starts.
The couple set up Absolute Roasters just before the pandemic and lockdown.
They were making a name for themselves selling cold brew coffees and traditional drinks from their converted van.
But when the events stopped their only home was an industrial estate in Firhill.
Sean says he hopes the business has turned the corner.
'Experience'
“It’s a fantastic area and we really want to provide fantastic coffee and service for the local area.
“Also it’s our way of having a hub in Glasgow where everyone can just come and get the full experience.
“We want to build this shop in to the full Absolute Roasters experience.
“We have so many ideas.”
One of their ideas is tapping into the taste for cold brew coffees.
Drinks are poured through a tap on the counter like you would get in a bar.
Sean, 27: “One of our niche products and USP is our cold-brew coffee.
“We make this cold-brew coffee and then keg it and then charge it with nitrogen and then serve it out of beer taps.
“We took that concept to Dockyard Social and played with it and people seemed to love it.
“We did cocktails and loads of different types of cold-brew.”
“It’s a fantastic area and we really want to provide fantastic coffee and service for the local area. Also it’s our way of having a hub in Glasgow where everyone can just come and get the full experience”
Sean Williams
Megan, 25, adds: “We have been working on a can that we have been wanting to bring out.
“We want to sell retail in the next couple of months or so, hopefully in time for Christmas.”
“We are not trying to be like another coffee shop.
“We are on a mission to smash the perceptions of coffee.”
The couple got the idea for the business during their travels abroad.
Sean converted a classic Piaggio Ape van to sell coffees at events.
Sean said: “We have still got the van.
“That’s what we imagined would be our bread and butter at the beginning.
“We had plans to drive it around Glasgow and go to different parts of the city, places like Kelvin Way.
“But that got thrown on its head when Covid hit. Mobile traders were not a priority for the council.
“It was all about saving the High Street, which I can understand - so we had to adapt.”
'Value'
The couple will be hoping they can remain into next spring - the unit comes with a great outdoor space overlooking the park.
For the present, under current restrictions, they will be concentrating efforts on takeaways.
Their landlord Marco Stevenson still has plans to turn his business Pizza Magic next door and the couple's unit into a pizzeria.
He said: “I think Megan and Sean have a great idea.
“But I also think they value local communities which was why I thought they would be ideal for this place.”
- Absolute Roasters is at 70 Hyndland Road and can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.
