A young couple from Leven has taken over popular local café and gift shop, Jane’s at Nineteen, reopening it as Lundin Coffee Co.
Lisa and Dean Reid now own and run the coffee shop side of the business, while former owners, Jane and Malcolm Campbell, will continue to sell gifts in the store next door.
Opening Lundin Coffee Co on Leven Road earlier this month, Lisa and Dean have been kept busy by locals who have been eager to return.
The couple spotted a Facebook post in June 2022 advertising the opportunity to take on the business while holidaying in Devon. As soon as Lisa saw the post she knew it was fate and couldn’t turn down the chance to own her own place.
She said: “My dad always said if you can work for yourself, work for yourself.
“I am taking the chance and if it doesn’t work out then I am still young.”
Jane and Malcolm owned the venue for 12 years and have built up a strong customer base. Lisa and Dean hope to retain that custom and welcome new regulars through their doors as they continue to get to grips with running the café.
The duo shadowed Jane and Malcolm for four months and are now flying solo, although the pair will never be too far away.
Some may ask why anyone would want to take on a café during a cost of living crisis, but for Lisa, after falling in love with the place as soon as she stepped inside, she couldn’t let it go.
Lisa also explained that having had her daughter Lucy in May 2020 and returning to her former role in operations at a non-destructive testing company, that her priorities had changed and she wanted to try her hand at something different.
While the duo have no previous hospitality experience they are determined to make the most of it.
What will you find at Lundin Coffee Co.?
Open from 10am to 4pm seven days a week and with a total of 16 seats, the cosy coffee shop offers a mixture of light bites and bakes for customers to enjoy.
For those with a sweet tooth, homemade scones are baked fresh every morning in-house along with gluten-free and vegan cakes, traybakes and cheesecakes.
If it is light bites you are in the mood for the menu has already been updated to offer bagels and chunky bloomer sandwiches which come with a mixture of fillings to choose from.
There are plans in place to further expand the food offering, too.
Family friendly
As a mum to a young daughter herself, Lisa is determined to make the venue more appealing to families and purchased highchairs and booster seats, plus toys for children in a bid to attract more parents with young ones to the premises.
She said: “We want to attract a different age range because right now it’s mainly an older demographic, and we want it to be a bit more inclusive of everyone.”
The team currently consists of Lisa, Dean and two additional part-time staff members.
Lundin Coffee Co recently announced it is now also dog-friendly and customers have been enjoying a cuppa with their furry friends in tow, too.
Plans to refurbish
In order to put their own stamp on the place, Lisa and Dean have plans to invest a four-figure sum into refurbishing the venue in February 2023.
Plans for colour schemes include deep sage and tan leather paired with off-white to give it a family friendly and calming feeling.
“Right now it is a tearoom style café and we want to turn it into an inviting coffee shop to make it more for everyone,” explained Lisa.
In order to make the space more inclusive a baby changing facility will also be added in the bathroom.
They also have plans to open Lundin Coffee Co from 9am to allow for a carer and baby session to take place where storytelling and other child-friendly activities will be held.
Once the refurbishment has taken place the menu will also be updated to reflect the new space.
Eco-friendly and sustainable products
Although the gift section is currently populated with merchandise from Jane’s at Nineteen, Lisa’s plan is to have a more sustainable and eco-friendly offering.
The area will contain a refillable product section where customers can reduce waste by refilling and paying for detergent, washing up liquid and surface spray at the shop.
Reusable coffee cups and gift cards that can be replanted will also be available to purchase.
Lisa added: “The current gift section is confusing for customers, so we are in the process of changing this over to our new offering sustainable offering.”
Address: 19 Leven Road, Lundin Links, Leven, KY8 6AQ
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