Coffee shop celebrates launch
THE owner of a new Helensburgh coffee shop has been “overwhelmed” by the level of local support as he celebrates the businesses’ successful opening.
Overflow, which is located in Colquhoun Square, opened its doors on Friday, March 29.
The coffee shop enjoyed hundreds of customers over its launch weekend and has received positive feedback from visitors.
It’s owned by Graeme Shearer, who formerly ran Common Ground in his home town of Dumbarton.
Graeme said: “The first weekend was crazy busy and it kind of caught me off guard.
“We did 500 coffees in two days. I was stuck behind the machine, churning out coffees, and my wife, mum, and sister were helping out on the till.
“Loads of people from Dumbarton, who were old customers, were coming through, and there were people from the Vale and Balloch, plus new people from Helensburgh, so we were really thankful for the turnout.
“We’re a younger business but we’ve been well received by different demographics which is really encouraging as well.
“We’ve been really overwhelmed by the support of our past customers, and it’s been amazing to see a lot of people in Helensburgh buy into it as well.”
Graeme also worked at Space Speciality Coffee House in Glasgow where he learned even more about coffee and the community surrounding it.
His experiences inspired him to start a business in Helensburgh and equipped him with the knowledge to make the shop a success.
Overflow was one of three new businesses to open in the town centre in the same day, with North by Northwest, run by Scandinavian Shop owner Lucy Paterson, and Capercaillie Gifts and Home, owned by David King also launching in nearby Sinclair Street.
He hopes that Overflow will fit in well with the rest of the town’s businesses and add something new to the mix.
Graeme said: “There are a lot of great businesses in Helensburgh, but a lot of them are food-focused so we thought if we came in to complement that, we could slot in.”
In the future, he plans to bring a range of events to the shop including coffee tasting events, latte art competitions, and home barista classes.
A coffee tasting event is in the works to take place in the next month with more details to be announced.