David McDonald was sat in a coffee shop unsure of what to do with his life when he realised the answer was quite literally staring him in the face.
Now, 15 years on from that epiphany, he is the head of a burgeoning coffee empire based in his hometown of Stirling.
David runs Stirling Coffee, Burgh Coffeehouse and has just added a new city centre roastery to his portfolio.
His success has been brewing for a long time, taking both the local and online coffee scene by storm.
When David returned to his hometown after graduating from the University of Dundee, he noticed a gap in the market.
“Back in the day when we started, Stirling only had four coffee shops – now there’s 29,” he said.
Through trial and error, he tried different beans and methods until he perfected his business model.
The new roastery, which is based in the former Stirling Observer print works at Wellgreen, will complete David’s long-term goal.
The 38-year-old told The Courier that the roastery plans have been in the works for years and he hopes to bring some “quirk and character” to the city.
He said: “We’ve been roasting coffee since 2017 down at STEP [Stirling Enterprise Park], but during lockdown we outgrew STEP and ever since then we’ve been trying to find a building.
“But trying to find a quirky industrial building in Stirling is non-existent.”
When the building came on the market, David knew he had the grounds for celebration.
What will the Stirling Coffee Roastery offer?
What was, as he put it, an “early 2000s IKEA office” has been restored back to its former glory and will be the new base for Stirling Coffee’s online sales.
By summer 2025, the roastery will be open for business.
David plans to create the coffee equivalent to a whisky distillery, offering tours and the chance for visitors to create their perfect cup of joe.
People will be able to choose their own beans, roast them and then use the purpose-built espresso lab to brew the coffee.
There will also be live-streamed demonstrations, offering a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of the enterprise.
It’s also an exciting time for Burgh Coffeehouse, which is in line for its first major refurbishment in six years.
“There’s a shaft at the back of the building that’s been bricked up since 1950,” David explained.
“At the moment, it’s just full of pigeons. It’s a really weird and funky space.
“We’re going to break into it and turn it into something that’s usable again.”
Burgh Coffeehouse will celebrate its 15th anniversary in December, while Stirling Coffee has been operating digitally since 2018.
The cafe – which also sells beans and other at-home coffee essentials – opened in 2021 after online success.
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