Mesa's new owners vow to honour cafe tradition in Dennistoun

Mesa in Dennistoun was recently taken over by Jamie Gunn and Kyle Maitland, who worked in the popular cafe, in October. Now the duo are looking forward to the future, however according to Kyle, it wasn’t always the plan to take over a spot that he calls one of his favourites.

Kyle explained: “It was one of those things that I never really planned on doing. I think it felt right to do it and with me working at Mesa obviously, I know what works and what doesn't work at Messer.

“And so we've tried to keep, keep the base much the same, I don't want to add in any radical changes when somebody comes in and they don't recognize it as Mesa. I love Mesa. Before I even worked there, it was my favorite spot in Dennistoun. So I don't want to disrupt the flow of it”

Jamie agrees with Kyle’s assessment that when it comes to making changes to the business, less is more.

He added: “It was just a staple Mesa, the brand and what it meant to kind of the community in Dennistoun as well. So I think for us, really maintaining that and then just touching up on it, I think that was what made it so attractive for us to want to go and buy it, was that there's small tweaks that can be made here, but there's not a huge infrastructural change.”

The duo have said that there are plans to offer outside seating and later opening hours, in what are small tweaks to a business that is already thriving. A popular brunch spot on Duke Street, that will be welcome news to fans of the establishment.

According to Kyle, it was a very definite change of pace going from being a customer and working there to taking control of the business. But the pair are keen to get down to business - with the ability to keep staff at the forefront of that.

He said: “Obviously, it's a lot more responsibility, a lot more going on, you don't get that day off that you used to. But that's part and parcel of owning the business. All the staff that we have are great. We want to keep them for as long as possible.”

And the staff are keen to stay, with only one of the long-term staff members moving on following the take over for reasons unconnected to the transition.

Kyle said: “Our staff retention, for hospitality, is quite incredible. The year before we transitioned over, nobody left, and the only person that left when we transitioned over, was Andrea [former owner of Mesa]. Everyone else has stayed.

“So all the staff are very experienced. They know what Mesa is about, and they've been there a while. I think that's why we do so well, it’s familiar faces, good food and good service.”