The Coffee Sack
Kate and Johanna
Kate and Johanna first crossed paths in 2008 while working at Pizza Express. Fast forward to 2017, and they opened The Coffee Sack, a thriving café bar at the heart of the Prestwich community. Over the years, the cafe’s reputation has flourished, navigating the highs and lows of business ownership, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, their resilience has paid off, earning them multiple awards and a loyal customer base.
After nearly a decade of friendship, Kate and Johanna had a conversation questioning why they were working for other people when they could do it for themselves. This epiphany led them to take the plunge, and now, they are the proud owners of The Coffee Sack.
Regarding working together as a partnership, they discussed their strengths and weaknesses as individuals, “Which then, when you put us together, it works perfectly,” they shared. Kate elaborates, “Johanna’s the thinker. I’m the risk taker.” They highlight how it helps how good of friends they are and how they have the upmost confidence and trust in each other’s strengths. Johanna prefers to be in the kitchen cooking up all the dishes whilst Kate is more of a tech whiz and works front of house on the till; their constant involvement with the day-to-day running of the café means you’ll always find at least one of them helping out.
Now, the years nobody wants to look back on, the ladies expressed how upset they were when the COVID-19 lockdown was announced. Johanna reveals “I remember we sat and cried, and then every night, we were waiting for the news bullets, to see what we could do”. Of course, having to close their café impacted them significantly however they remained active in their community, assisting customers by helping them order essentials that could be collected from a safe distance.
As the world slowly opened up again, Kate and Johanna began offering takeaways from the café, being one of the only local coffee spots to reopen in this way. Kate shared they had a immense support from the community spotlighting one customer, “she said she didn’t even need a coffee every day, but came just to support us which was really nice”. Maintaining such customer loyalty has been pivotal to their success achieving multiple awards including Best Café in Manchester and Best Customer Service at the England Business Awards.
Customers voted for who they believed was the best café in the region and shared their reasons why. When Kate and Johanna were presented with their award, they realized just how loyal their customers truly were. “I think people appreciated how we then went on to help them out during COVID,” they reflected. Their direct relationships with customers have significantly boosted their reputation in the community. Known for being very family-friendly, Kate and Johanna are passionate about maintaining their award-winning customer service. The ladies emphasize their commitment to a personal touch, stating, “We do raffle prizes for local schools. We help out with any local charities and things like that.” Their involvement and dedication to the community has cemented The Coffee Sack as a beloved local spot.
Discussing the importance of supporting local businesses, Johanna acknowledges the perception of higher prices at independent places. She explains, “Your staffing costs, your energy costs, you know, your music license, your rent rate, everything that goes into it, the VAT you have to pay on it. People may not realize all the added costs that go into running the café.” Kate adds, “To get that dish from A to B, there’s a lot of costs that go into it.” Furthermore, they highlight the advantage that bigger companies have in ordering large bulks, which lowers their cost per unit. However, Kate and Johanna prioritize using local female suppliers, emphasizing the importance of supporting other women in the area.
Unfortunately, alongside the challenges posed by COVID-19, Kate and Johanna have encountered other hurdles since opening their café. Recruitment, in particular, has proven frustrating for the duo. “People don’t always turn up for interviews… It can be such a long process,” they shared. They elaborated on the task of sifting through over 150 applicants, scheduling interviews amidst their already busy schedules running the café.
They highlight how you are only as good as the team you’ve got working for you and say “we have the most amazing team, we’d go as far as saying we’ve got the best team in Prestwich!”. Given their location, where new footfall is limited, customer loyalty ranks high on their list of priorities. They entrust their staff to consistently deliver exceptional customer service, recognizing that their team’s dedication plays a crucial role.
Despite their backgrounds in Biomedical and Forensic Sciences degrees, they believe having experience in the hospitality industry is useful when looking to open your own place. “You’ve got to be prepared for the lows before you get to the highs”, they advise. Their journey serves as a compelling example of how practical knowledge and hands-on experience in the hospitality sector can significantly enhance your skills as a business owner in the industry.
@coffeesackprestwich and their website
https://www.thecoffeesack.shop. You can also visit the café at 3 Scholes Lane, Prestwich, M25 OPD - they recommend trying the homemade artisan toast with avocado!
