A North East entrepreneur has swapped managing community facilities for coffee, protein shakes and overnight oats after taking the plunge and opening his own wellness-focused café at the age of 40.
Mark Graham is the man behind KULT, a new café on Gosforth High Street which combines speciality coffee with a growing range of wellness and fitness-focused food and drinks.
After years working in the management of community facilities and school lettings, Mark decided it was time to follow a long-held ambition and create a business of his own.
Recently opened, KULT is located at 161-163 Gosforth High Street, opposite The Brandling Arms and next door to The Gym Group.
“I’d always wanted to do something totally different and follow a passion,” said Mark. “I’ve always enjoyed coffee and I love it, but I’ve also got my Level 3 personal training qualification and have always been interested in fitness and nutrition.
“I thought there are a million different coffee places you can go to, but I wanted to create somewhere that fitted with me. I like going for a coffee, but I also like to train and make sure I’m eating properly afterwards.
“When the opportunity came up in Gosforth, with lots of fitness businesses around the area, it just seemed to make sense from a business perspective. I finally took the leap, although quite a few people thought I was mad, especially with the hospitality industry being as challenging as it is.”
Despite having no previous experience as a barista, Mark undertook intensive barista training before opening KULT and has spent the first nine months learning and developing the business.
The café serves a range of coffees alongside protein drinks, macro-friendly snacks, matcha and protein-packed overnight oats.
One of its biggest sellers is the Biscoff protein overnight oats, which Mark says have become something of a customer favourite.
“They’re absolutely flying,” he said. “You get more than 30 grams of protein and they’re like a full meal, but they taste like a dessert. People come in and buy three or four at a time.”
The peanut butter and banana protein shake is another popular choice, while the café’s iced matcha has proved particularly successful with Mark admitting he has been surprised to find that it outsells cappuccinos.
“I didn’t expect the matcha to be as popular as it is,” he said. “We’re actually selling more iced matchas than cappuccinos, which has surprised us, but it’s a huge trend at the moment.”
Although Mark initially expected KULT’s main customers to be fitness enthusiasts, the reality has been very different.
The café has attracted customers from a wide range of backgrounds and age groups, something Mark says is central to the business he wanted to create.
“We’ve got everything from retired people who come in because they’re curious, through to people who are really into fitness and nutrition,” he said.
“People might assume Gosforth is just an affluent area, but that’s not the reality everywhere. With the cost-of-living crisis, we’re seeing people from all different walks of life coming through the doors.
“For me, customer service is hugely important. I love getting to know people, finding out a little bit about their background and what they do. I wanted Kult to be somewhere where people feel comfortable coming in, whatever their reason for being there.”
The name KULT was deliberately chosen to stand out.
Mark wanted something short, memorable and capable of becoming more than simply the name of a coffee shop.
“It’s definitely a name you either love or hate,” he joked. “My dad absolutely hates it and started saying, ‘You’re going to join a cult, you’re starting a cult!’
“But I wanted something short and something that could become a brand. I don’t see KULT as just a coffee shop. There are lots of different directions we can take it in, including events and different wellness activities.
“I wanted something that people would see and think, ‘What’s that?’ It starts a conversation.”
Mark has also built his team around the same emphasis on customer service. He currently employs five part-time members of staff and says he deliberately focused on personality rather than simply looking for previous hospitality experience.
“I wanted to hire the person first,” he said. “It’s very easy to get carried away thinking you need someone with a certain amount of experience, but skills can be taught.
“The most valuable thing for me is someone who comes through the door, is friendly and has a bit of crack with people. That’s what makes the difference, and it’s worked well for us.”
Nine months into his new venture, Mark admits the experience has been a steep learning curve – but one he has no regrets about.
“It’s all been a bit mad and crazy,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like my head’s going to explode, but it’s going well. For year one, I’m happy with it. Now I just need to keep building on it.”
KULT is at 161-163 Gosforth High Street, opposite The Brandling Arms and next door to The Gym Group.
For more information, follow @kult.gosforth on Instagram or visit www.kultgosforth.com