After months of prep, financial modelling and business case building The Clubhouse Coffee & Cycles opened its doors on the 28th July 2018. In order to generate the capital needed to start the business we looked for the support of a Start Up Business Loan. The provider we selected was Virgin Start Up, accessed through their regional partner Airedale Enterprise Services(AES).
AES and Virgin Start Up are extremely thorough and make sure assumptions are accurate and all possible outcomes have been covered. This is extremely helpful as inevitably something crawls out of the woodwork that you hadn't thought of and needs to be accounted for. This may take a little more effort upfront but it means when something comes up you are far more prepared than you would have been otherwise had you not had the support from AES and Virgin.
Since reciving the loan we were able to confirm the lease complete the shop fitting and launch in just 5 weeks. Now trading we are achieving our aim of creating a social hub for our customers to meet up with friends, or find some time for themselves to relax and escape life's hectic pace for a while. We serve quality locally sourced produce, whether that be Coffee Care's beautiful Three Peaks Blend or the delicious pastries and breads we have delivered from Craven Bakery. Our customers are enjoying what we offer and despite only being open a short time we already have the pleasure of repeat customers. Alongside the speciality coffee and treats we are also proud to be the home of Factor Bikes in North & West Yorkshire. Factor Bikes are fast building a reputation as one of the best premium cycling brands in the world, currently sponsoring the World Tour Team AG2R La Mondiale. The relationship is a big coup for The Clubhouse as Factor are looking for premium retailers to associate themselves with.
The culmination of this lead to us being selected as Virgin Start Up's Start Up Of The Week. Fantastic recognition from one of the UK's biggest and best known supporters of new businesses and entrepreneurialism it demonstrates the confidence they have in us, this is fantastic for a new company and shows the belief in an ever growing format in the UK.
Coffee and Cycles have gone together since the inaugural 1903 Tour De France began at Café au Réveil Matin. With cycling booming in Yorkshire and speciality coffee one of the fastest growing markets in the UK The Clubhouse Coffee & Cycles is perfectly placed to find customers. Being Start Up Of The Week is a great endorsement from a national company in our offer to our customers and their faith in us to deliver on our promises. As we continue to mature we will add further areas to The Clubhouse to adapt to the changing face of Coffee & Cycling in Yorkshire. Stay tuned to find out more.
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