Since 2019, bucking the perceived downturn, Scottish hospitality business Hinba has grown from a single Oban coffee shop into a seven-venue café, bakery and restaurant group across Glasgow and the West.
The business has more than doubled in size in the last 18 months, employing over 50 people, with a turnover increased by 150% in the past year.
From that start on Oban harbour to selling upwards of 350,000 coffees a year, Hinba founder Fergus McCoss credits its growth to ‘seizing opportunities, data-led decision-making and focusing on what the business can control’.
“Sites are closing every week as the industry’s at a real turning point,” said McCoss.
“Margins are tighter than ever but there’s still a market there – people still want to go out for a great coffee or meal. That means there are opportunities everywhere. We just said yes when the right ones popped up.
“The last few years have been a whirlwind. While we’re primarily focused on consolidating what we have, and putting our own stamp on things, we’re still searching for a Glasgow roastery. Of course, we’ll never say no to the right opportunity.”
McCoss continued: “We can’t really do anything about NIC, rates, or inflation, so we don’t waste too much time worrying about it and instead control what we can control. All day, every day, we search for creative ways to deliver the quality people deserve while being a great place to work.”
Hinba secured its first Glasgow site on Dumbarton Road in 2022, then a year later it opened a second West End café on Great Western Road.
But it was last year when things stepped up a gear, starting when James Aitken, owner of Us V. Them, approached Fergus about the sale of his Sauchiehall Street venue, which gave Hinba a footprint in the city centre.
Shortly after that, Hinba began looking to buy a bakery, and entered talks with Mhairi Taylor, who owned both a bakery business in Hyndland and Zique’s, a West End institution of more than two decades.
Under Hinba’s control, Zique’s has continued to operate as the popular neighbourhood brunch spot it has always been while the team slowly puts its own stamp on the space.
Most recently, the group acquired Eighty Eight in Finnieston, the restaurant next door to their first Glasgow café, giving it a second restaurant.
Alongside this expansion, Hinba has been focused on making its operation resilient. The bakery – now supplying all venues – is at full capacity, while the team track wastage, forecast sales against weather, and bake and roast based on data rather than guesswork.
McCoss added: “Hospitality businesses often run on instinct. I don’t think that’s enough anymore, the costs are too high. You need passion, but you also need to interrogate the numbers.
“We’re proud of the team we’ve built and want to provide opportunities for them to grow, so we have a responsibility to grow responsibly. We want to be around for a long time to come.”
He added: “We don’t want to be on every high street. But if it says Hinba on the door, we want you to know the coffee will be great, the food will be honest and made with care. Our biggest focus is earning people’s trust.”
McCoss returned to Scotland before lockdown after almost a decade based in Palma de Mallorca while working on super yachts. He runs the business with his wife, Ness, who oversees operations, finance and systems. During a busy period on the business front, the pair have also welcomed their first child.
