The Clubhouse Coffee & Cycles

31st July 2018

My Business

The Clubhouse Coffee & Cycles does exactly what it say on the tin! It’s great coffee and light bites using high quality, locally sourced products and ingredients, coupled with great bikes produced by  Factor. Our aim is to create an inclusive atmosphere, where everyone can enjoy themselves. We pride ourselves on delivering the sort of quality that can satisfy the hardcore coffee or bike enthusiast but be inclusive enough that anyone can come in and feel at home.

Where are you based and why is it a good location for your business?

We are proud to be located in Skipton, North Yorkshire. It’s a fantastic town on the edge of the Dales, It’s cycling mad with an up and coming coffee scene. People travel from all over the world to come to Skipton and cyclists often use Skipton as a way point when visiting the Dales so it’s perfect for us.

How did you come up with the idea?

I have a real passion for coffee and cycling and luckily a lot of cyclists share my passion for coffee. Yorkshire is a hot bed of cycling and speciality coffee is growing in popularity. My wife and I spent February to May this year travelling through Australia, New Zealand and Asia, we saw so many amazing coffee houses and different methods that I made the decision to go for it. We have set up The Clubhouse in Yorkshire (The heart of cycling in the UK) but we have brought back all the influences from around the world to bring it to life.

What stage was your business at when you applied for the start-up loan?

We had an idea, the makings of a business plan and financial assumptions and an agreement in principle on a lease in Skipton subject to planning permission and agreeing the loan. So it would be safe to say we were in the early stages!

How have you used it to grow your business?

The loan has helped us get off the ground. Renovate and convert the property, purchase stock and then market the proposition. Without the loan this would have been an idea only, the loan has enabled us to execute the idea which is the most crucial part.

Who is your regional delivery partner and how did they help you get a Virgin StartUp loan?

Phil from Airedale Enterprise Services and the whole team were brilliant and Phil in particular. He was great as we built the financials asking the questions that I hadn’t thought of and meant I had a far more holistic plan to execute when the time came. His wealth of experience in the business world also helped me.

Biggest Achievement so far?

It has to be the opening of the business, there are so many challenges and hurdles to face to get a business to the point of serving its first customer that I think everyone who can get a business open should class that a great achievement.

What’s next for your business?

One thing we recognised during our time travelling was the different social hubs that are available. We want to create a chilled out evening culture, with “bring your own records” night, Coffee, Wine & Gin tasting, talks, readings and other events bringing a further dimension to The Clubhouse.

Founder(s) name: Kane Pulford-Roberts

Loan funds received: £10,000 – £25,000

Based in: West Yorkshire

Website: www.theclubhousecc.co.uk

Facebook: @theclubhousecc

Instagram: @theclubhousecoffee