Entrepreneur Fraser Smith will use his coffee shop EH9 Espresso as a vehicle to create a safe space for those in the Dundee community looking to socialise after hours.
He believes by opening his coffee shop later into the evening, that those who don’t want to visit pubs or venues that sell alcohol can find respite at his cafe and meet up with friends and family outwith the home environment.
The 26-year-old took the decision to extend his opening hours to meet customer demand. He found he was turning a large amount of customers away due to their lack of service after 5pm throughout the week.
His cafe on Perth Road is now open from 9am to 5pm from Saturday to Tuesday and 9am to 7.30pm from Wednesday to Friday.
Offering customers a “relaxed and safe” space to meet, Fraser is determined to give back more to the Dundee community and provide a haven for those not wanting to catch up in alcohol-driven venues.
He said: “The style of shop is quite casual, but also dialled into speciality coffee.
“People can come in, work and pop up to the bar to have a conversation with the barista. It’s such a unique environment to create.”
Inspired by Edinburgh
The inspiration of his venture and the concept of opening later comes from Fraser’s years of experience in Edinburgh where he worked as a barista and server at Red Box Coffee in the Marchmont area.
After noticing the rise of standards in Edinburgh’s coffee shops that collaborated regularly with the local community, Fraser took this inspiration to create a similar culture in Dundee.
“We use EH9 as a benchmark and we want to create that community feeling here,” he said.
“That’s the way I see Dundee going. I’ve seen that kind of adrenaline for coffee in Dundee and the consumers are so savvy.”
EH9 Espresso experience
Fraser looks to promote a safe, no-judgement space in his café where everyone is welcome and free to express themselves.
As a result, the demographic of his customers has been more diverse than he had originally anticipated.
“The aim is to create a third space where people can relax and detox. We are building our EH9 family where we have space for the people of Dundee.
“If you look at it at face value it is a student place but we have older generations, business people, teachers, all walks of life come through here.”
Is coffee is the new beer?
The venue is commonly used by many as a place to meet for post-work gatherings instead of pubs or restaurants.
Fraser reckons this is due to the unit cost of coffee being cheaper, thus allowing people to still meet as the cost of living increases.
As part of their offering, EH9 only serve high quality coffee with an 82 Q score for their customers to enjoy from London roasters Kiss The Hippo.
The Q score indicates the grade of coffee from good to excellent, with coffee above 80 being considered speciality coffee.
In addition, Kiss The Hippo’s roasted coffee is ethically sourced and carbon neutral, resulting in it being more expensive than other coffee beans.
But for Fraser, this is an expense he is willing to absorb to ensure his customers can enjoy a premium beverage at a reasonable price.
Not just caffeine
Fraser is mindful of his staff’s wellbeing and encourages the team not to just drink coffee while on shift, but to consume other fluids, too.
As well as offering decaf coffee and tea, there are other alternatives for customers not looking for their caffeine fix to enjoy.
Looking to the future, Fraser plans to collaborate more with the wider Dundee community by hosting events. He recently hosted a streetwear pop-up to raise money for charities helping those impacted by the war in Ukraine.
He will also continue to collaborate with other roasters in Dundee including Brewery Lane Coffee, and local bakers like Curations Dundee, whose produce is already available to purchase at the venue, to build a stronger community feel at the cafe.
