Partenope is an Italian coffee shop based in Hector Street, in the heart of Shawlands run by couple Sara and Toni.
The smell coming from the kitchen is something that reminds me the school days when I was going to what in Italy we call "forno del pane" (bakery for bread).
Saturday (yes we go to school on Saturdays in Italy- don't laugh) was the day allowed for treats like focaccia or pizza bread. So the memory is coming in this place with the exact amount of coins in my hand, open the door full of steam and enter in this kind of parallel world where the smell of fresh bread was filling your lungs.
For me Partenope is this. And also a bit more as I know Toni and Sara from long time as they have been among my best and favourite customers when I had Accento. Sorry for not being too impartial on here!
I come often here with the family and as Italian this is one of the few places in town that makes me feel at home and where I know my cappuccino will be great and it will come with the right amount of foam and at the right temperature. God Bless.
I often talk with Sara a bit about everything but this time we focused only on her in the role of business owner. Hope you will enjoy!
Sara, you are coming from an Italian family that has always been involved in the food business.
Being born in Glasgow into a family that has always worked in the food industry motivated me to do so too. My dad has a famous fish and chips (proper Italian roots here) and we have always given him a hand in the shop.
It is hard work, don’t get me wrong, but sharing experience and love through food is what Italians do best, isn’t it?
You were in Italy ten years ago teaching English and you met Toni that at the time was working as a carpenter. Then you moved again home and something started to see the light. How the idea of opening Partenope was born?
Yes, I kind of forced him to move back here- she laughs.
Partenope was actually Toni’s idea.
He felt there was something missing in Glasgow's coffee scene.
Great cakes and pastries were easy to find but not everyone had exciting savory counters to offer.
Toni had no professional experience in baking or in making bread of focaccia.
He was just a homebaker, he used to make bread or pizza for family and friends but more as a hobby but with a bit of encouragement from friends and family (you included) we jumped on this journey.
I spent months before opening tasting bread and focaccia, not always great as normal, before finding our perfect touch. A focaccia that you can find only here and that it is part of our brand!
I think people do realize our product is high quality. The fact that we do not overproduce and that our counter is always filled with new focaccia coming fresh from the oven during the day surely makes a difference. The smell in the shop is literally like walking into a place in Italy.
You decided to open just straight after the first serious lockdown. More than someone surely told you "are you crazy? Right?
I think lockdown was actually quite a good time for coffee shops.
Pubs were closed, restaurants couldn’t sell alcohol, lot of people were still working from home so we turned to coffee.
But the rise in price with the current crisis is terrifying. Our outgoings have literally doubled since we opened.
And Brexit, don’t get me started. It’s sad, we have friends that were willing to come over and help get the place running at the start but because of Brexit they couldn’t. And it is also always more difficult to find staff with certain skills.
When we got the keys, I think I cried every day for about 5 months
Nothing was going right. We weren’t getting anywhere. We had run out of money.
We had two little babies at home that I felt I had abandoned to get the place up and running
But we got there.
Our families were a huge support, looking after the kids and making dinner for us in the early days.
Toni and I didn’t spend time with each other from when we opened in July until Christmas when we both got Covid and we’re housebound. It was actually a blessing in disguise as we hadn’t spent any quality time together, he worked nights and I worked days. It was non-stop
If I could go back I would try not to worry too much, everything falls into place.
Our customers are exceptionally sound, so we never really have any bother with them. Our tight wee team is the best, we always cover each other if needed, pick up the slack if someone isn’t feeling it.
They have even babysat the kids when needed. I love them for it and I will always be grateful that we have them.
So if someone comes to you and tells you that want to open a coffee shop would you say JUMP right?
The one thing I would say to anyone that wants to open something is GO FOR IT.
Partenope might not be around forever but I’ll never regret doing it. I think it’s better to try and fail rather than not try at all.
Said that do not expect everything to be easy or that your hard work will give you results the day after.
It needs lot of perseverance and a bit of craziness, maybe more than a bit.
We bought everything secondhand, still renting some of our equipment, we borrowed things from people. You do what you can to get open and slowly things come together.
Another thing I would say is to treat your staff with respect and they will stick with you. Working in a safe, relaxed environment is key and it’s something that often lacks in hospitality.
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