The owners of two north-east coffee shops who launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to build a coffee roastery have stretched their initial target of £100K due to “overwhelming” public response.
Jonny and Ali Aspden, who founded The Coffee Apothecary in 2014, have raised more than £170K since launching an equity crowdfunding campaign on Friday (October 15) to build an in-house speciality coffee roastery next to their flagship cafe in Udny.
The project will involve renovating the premises and kitting it out with the equipment required to supply and package enough coffee to cater for their two cafes, the other of which is based in Ellon and opened in January 2019.
Jonny, 38, hopes work will commence at the end of the year and the project will be complete by late summer or autumn 2022.
The roastery is just over 100 square metres in size and will also be open for tastings and coffee training classes.
Stretch target
The target was increased to £185K last week, a figure that Jonny and Ali believe will enable them to make it into their dream space.
To date 209 people have invested in the crowdfunder with 25 days left to meet the stretch target.
“We could have applied for bank loans but we loved the idea of bringing lots of our customers into the business to help build the next part of it,” Jonny said.
“This way, investors get shares in the business and some perks (like lifetime discounts) and we use their investments to build the roastery.
“We had an initial target of £100K which would enable us to do the project but we have a stretch target of £185K that will enable us to kit out and build it exactly as we would like to, with the the highest spec of equipment to roast the best coffee we can.”
The funds raised will go towards a coffee roaster, other roastery equipment, a quality control laboratory, a green coffee store and an improved staff area.
The building that will become the roastery is situated behind their Udny-based cafe.
Tours and coffee training
On completion, those visiting Jonny and Ali’s roastery will be able to participate in tours and events, as well as coffee training classes which the couple already offer.
“We also plan to have coffee cupping (tasting) events in the roastery,” Jonny said.
“And for everyone who invests over £5K during the crowdfunding round, they will get their own private tour and the chance to roast some coffee as part of a Coffee Apothecary experience day.
“This whole experience has been incredible and scary. We never thought we would have a second cafe, and to now be building a roastery is amazing.”
Jonny and Ali will also use the funds raised to create a web shop and a subscription service, with hopes of launching a third cafe in the future.
Jonny added: “We have been in talks about a third more takeaway-style Coffee Apothecary in the heart of Aberdeen. Watch this space.”
The Coffee Apothecary in Udny is open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4pm Friday to Sunday.
The Ellon branch is open from 10am to 4pm Monday and Tuesday, 10am to 9pm Wednesday and Thursday, 9am to 10pm Friday and Saturday, and 9am to 4pm on Sunday.
For more information on the crowdfunder, visit seedrs.com/thecoffeeapothecary/