After closing the doors in June, Perth Road café FIKA Dundee has found a new owner who will reopen the much-loved venue later this week.
Albany Keith, 26, started her traybakes and chocolate business Sinfully Sweet in March 2020 just as the pandemic began
Growing the business, she had started looking for a new base and thought she had hit the jackpot when she noticed FIKA Dundee was for sale.
With a background in working in hospitality at the Food Pod in Broughty Ferry prior to it closing down, and having studied a summer course after finishing school, Albany knew she had the skills to take on the venture and make it her own.
She will reopen FIKA Dundee on Wednesday (August 23).
Whilst taking on the business she continues to work evenings from home for Castle Water, as she struggles to find childcare for her two children Nova and Remi, aged 4 and 11 months and grow her business at the same time.
Investing a five-figure sum into FIKA Dundee, Albany has taken over the firm from previous owner Charlotte Kay.
With FIKA (pronounced “fee-kah”) being a Swedish custom where people take a break and enjoy coffee, cakes, light snacks and relax with others, Albany hopes to maintain the same ethos that Charlotte created.
“I’m keeping the name because I like the meaning behind it,” she said.
With the venue already fit for purpose, the enthusiastic entrepreneur is keeping the space and interior as it was and intends to pay homage to the original café which so many locals enjoyed.
“It will be very similar in terms of what is on offer,” Albany explained. “We will still be a café serving coffee and light bites for people to enjoy.”
What’s on offer at FIKA Dundee?
With Albany’s speciality being baked goods, she plans to have even more home baking available for her customers to enjoy.
She said: “I’ll be making all the baked goods in-house.
“Due to the kitchen being small they will either be made here, or made at my home and brought into the café.”
Customers can enjoy traybakes like brownies, chocolate cake and cheesecakes, as well freshly baked cakes and cupcakes.
Other food and drinks option include light bites such as hummus and banana toast, smoked salmon bagels, smashed avocado on toast and honey drizzled cream cheese bagels.
For lunch there is an option for homemade soup of the day as well as sandwiches, toasties or paninis with a range of fillings to choose from.
Albany said: “The menu will be very similar to what Charlotte already had.
“There won’t be as much hot food due to the kitchen not having a hob, but we will still have toasties and paninis.”
Coffee and other hot beverages will also be on offer for those who fancy a drink with their bakes.
With the customer base already built and the café having a premium location in the centre of Dundee, Albany plans to open and run the venue by herself initially.
She hopes to be able to employ a few members of staff once the word has got out about the venue reopening and once business picks up.
To accommodate her busy family schedule the venue will be closed on Mondays and will be be open 10am to 3:30pm Tuesday to Friday, and 10am to 2pm on the weekends.
Conversation