Independent Merchant City coffee shop to open huge new premises after 10 years on Candleriggs

Independent Glasgow coffee shop Spitfire Espresso have announced that they will open bigger premises on one of the city’s best known streets.

After a decade on Candleriggs, Spitfire Espresso will open new premises on the corner of Bell Street and High Street just up from Glasgow Cross.

Towards the end of 2024, Spitfire opened their second location in the city when they opened a new shop on Great Western Road near Kelvinbridge next door to te Seba.

Taking to social media, Spitfire Espresso said: “ BIG ANNOUNCEMENT.

“WE ARE MOVING!

“After our post a couple of weeks ago about our 10th birthday at Candleriggs, it's now time to say good bye to that little corner, but don't despair, we're only moving down the road! We are so excited to announce that Spitfire Espresso is staying in the Merchant City, and will soon be found on the corner of Bell Street and High Street.

“After 10 awesome years on Candleriggs, we just can't accommodate everyone that visits us the way we want to anymore. The new site is bigger, better and still has all the awesome character you love about Candleriggs but with the benefit of new bathrooms, better ventilation and more space! Massive windows, high ceilings and dual access from Bell Street and High Street. We can't wait to welcome you in!”

We headed down to Spitfire Espresso to speak to co-owners Danny and Emily about the new venture and find out why the time was right to move into bigger premises.

“This is a move. We’ve been here for 10 years. We’ve come to the end of our 10 year lease and we just felt like it was the right time. We don’ have enough room here to service all the people, especially at weekends and in the summer. We’re just not big enough. We had the opportunity to move to another unit around the corner. It’s only a couple of minutes walk and it’s a lot bigger” explained Emily.

Danny said: “This was a bank. Funnily enough, our new premises was also a bank (Scotcash). This was a bank and so the kitchen is in the manager’s office and that’s all you can do with it. It’s built the way it’s built, it doesn’t it open up enough so that we can’t stretch it. So we’ve hit kind of capacity and we had done about maybe four years ago. Maybe after Covid, it was really noticeable and it’s awkward for me.

“I want you to feel comfortable, relaxed, and at home but at the same time we’ve got people standing in the doorway waiting for you to leave and I don’t want to kick you out, but at the same time, these guys want to experience what you’ve experienced. You had a great time and I hate just both sides of it.

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“We are at capacity, it’s quite difficult when it’s packed. So we found a space, but also we’re quite specific about it. The things that we love about this, the high ceiling, the big windows, the character. It’s old, it’s got personality. We are really into that. It’s Spitfire - there’s something vintage and there’s something retro and there’s something cool about it and it’s easier to install that into an older building.