A person who spent 18 years working in theatre has launched his personal espresso enterprise – by spending £10,000 changing a 33-year-old Fiat Panda right into a espresso bar.
Brendan Cull, 39, has determined to make the leap into the aggressive cellular espresso market whereas persevering with his profession in theatre.
Whereas changing a automobile right into a espresso bar is nothing new, as Citroen H-vans can frequently been seen roaming the streets of London now, changing a household hatchback is.
Moreover, whereas these cellular espresso bars could seem slightly unusual at first, they’re efficient enterprise fashions, permitting small enterprise house owners to arrange store with out actually establishing store for a modest outlay.
What’s extra their manoeuvrability means these be-wheeled baristas can broaden their horizons from riverside pitch to pageant patch.
Whereas nearly all of Mr Cull’s expertise has been in theatre, he has labored as a barista to complement his earnings. Now he has determined to make the leap and take his love of espresso on the street with Bianca, a purple 1990 Fiat Panda.
Chatting with Categorical.co.uk about his determination to arrange the enterprise, Mr Cull mentioned: “I began a sourdough enterprise throughout lockdown and fantasised a few cellular espresso bar. Three years later I lastly took the plunge.”
On why he selected the Panda, Mr Cull mentioned he “wished to search out one thing distinctive and quirky that might home a easy espresso setup”.
He added: “The Fiat ticked all these bins. It’s low cost to run, the angle of the boot means I can get higher entry to the espresso machine and it’s cute as hell.”
Though he has put in a espresso machine, generator, and storeroom behind the Panda, Mr Cull mentioned he needed to make only a few modifications to get it to suit.
He defined: “The largest modification is we needed to modify the construction of the within and take away the again seats, however that’s just about it.”
Now the Panda has match match and able to go, Mr Cull mentioned he’s starting to plan his technique for 2024, one which he hopes will see him and his Panda journey across the UK.
He mentioned: “My plan is to discover a native weekday pitch the place it would function like your native cafe after which hopefully small occasions and weddings on the weekend. Sometimes a day without work! Up to now I’ve solely completed one small occasion however I’ve a lot of irons within the hearth for the brand new yr.”
Fortuitously for Mr Cull, he has gotten off to a flying begin with the general public responding positively to the sight of him and Bianca.
He mentioned: “Individuals have definitely responded to the look and conversion which is strictly what I wished. I wished to construct one thing I used to be keen about that I may run alongside my theatre work.”
In addition to speaking Categorical.co.uk by way of his Panda, he additionally allowed Categorical.co.uk to get behind the wheel. As soon as there we found that regardless of being 33 years outdated, the automobile drove nicely with gentle steering, a great clutch, and simply sufficient energy to maintain this pseudo-hybrid at a cruise.
In a world the place there are issues in regards to the well being of precise Pandas, within the automotive world it’s a reduction to see vehicles similar to Mr Cull’s Bianca being saved from the scrap heap and given a brand new lease of life.
Mr Cull and Bianca could be discovered on Instagram @redpandacoffee90