THE SWEET smell of success may soon follow the alluring aroma of coffee after one area of Stalybridge became home to a new business.
But Coffee At Mine keeps it in the family as it is at the site of the former Shanghai City chip shop, which was owned by Peiyee Chu’s mother.
And once she gave the OK for it to be converted, it was all systems go and the results of a six-month transformation can now be seen.
“I’ve always been into business, I’d always wanted my own,” Dukinfield-based Peiyee, whose experience is in merchandising, told The Correspondent.
“It was six months’ work to turn the takeaway into what you see now but I definitely wanted it to be right before I opened.
“I didn’t want to open just a normal coffee shop that you could find in the town centre, I wanted something different.”
Coffee At Mine certainly is different as it draws on influences from Australia and Bali, where coffee culture is huge.
But why the Brushes area? Well, apart from the premises already being in the family, the setting makes it attractive.
Peiyee, 27, added: “I decided on it being a café as I’d always wanted to be a barista.
“I’ve always liked the idea of having a small, intimate coffee shop and I’ve always liked coffee all my life.
“Also, I think it’s a really good location as it’s a residential area with loads of houses around, so it creates a better community.
“People can just wake up to a coffee in the morning.
“And there’s only the corner shop next door to us in this entire neighbourhood and Stalybridge town centre is far enough away from here.
“There’s Millbrook too and there’s a nice walk on our doorstep.
“The businesses that have been here are very different but my mum’s always supported me.
“As soon as I raised the idea to her, she was 100 per cent ‘go for it.’
“It was going to be either a house or another coffee shop, so she was like, ‘Let’s take the risk and give it a go.’”
That ‘go’ started when Coffee At Mine opened its doors on Tuesday, February 27, with it being open at 8am seven days a week.
And so far, the reaction has given Peiyee confidence the choice was right, with another branch along the line not out of the question.
She said: “I’ve had so many people walk by and say it’s really nice.
“So far, everyone has been really supportive. They’ve wished me the best of luck and said they’re really happy to see a coffee shop.
“An ex-policeman came in and said, ‘A coffee shop shape the community.’
“I definitely want to expand as well.”
Coffee At Mine can be found at 27, Brushes Road in Stalybridge.
You can email them at Coffeeatmine97@gmail.com and they are on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/coffeeatmine as well as Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556836920866.