Help Oliver's to Bounce Back by Paying it Forward

Hello Friends..... We need your help!

Founded in 2014 as Poddingtons Coffee House, we have most certainly been on a journey which has not been without its challenges.

Surviving as an independent coffee shop in a retail park on the outskirts of Edinburgh was always going to be tough, but we've managed it. Here we are 5 years on with two stores across Edinburgh and trading now as Oliver's Coffee House following a merger in early 2019. But it is now we are facing our biggest challenge yet.

The Covid-19 Pandemic has caused major disruption, heartache and uncertainty in its wake and we are far from clear of any of this. We made the decision on 20th March to close our doors to protect our teams, our customers and our communities.

We have always been a store with the local community at its core - we source produce locally and from independents suppliers where possible, we also give back to local charities on a yearly basis. But it is now that we ask those that love us, as much as we do you, to support us in this time of need by paying it forward on one (or more) of our rewards, and/or grab yourself a bit of Poddingtons merchandise as we fully transition from Poddingtons to Oliver's during the lockdown closure.

What are we seeking to achieve?

Our main goal here is survival and with your help we can most certainly achieve this. As well as supporting us in the past, we now need your help in playing a big part in shaping and ensuring our future. 

We have to date been very fortunate to have access to the Job Retention Scheme that has allowed us to keep all of our valued team in employment. We want to make a store that is safe for them to return to work in, and also one that our customers will feel safe in too. 

We have set an ambitious target that will support us to ensure that we are able to create this safe environment. If we are able to meet/exceed our stretch target, we hope to be able to create a whole new counter design in Straiton Retail Park that will be geared towards more space for our team members to work within specified zones, allowing them to work independently without the need for close contact behind the counter. We will also incorporate sneeze screens at the till and coffee collection points in both locations, offer pre made lunch items for take away, collection and sit in to allow us to serve our customers more efficiently, offer hand sanitiser stations throughout both the stores, and create space within store to allow for social distancing.  

What do we need from you?

We have been truly humbled by the huge support shown to us so far by our local community and loyal customer base, and we are also acutely aware of the economical pressures on so many of us during this difficult time. Poddingtons memorabilia aside, what we are offering is a reward scheme whereby any contribution given now, by paying it forward, will be honoured when we re-open. The higher the level of contribution, the more we will be giving back in terms of future cash value.

We feel we have created a reward that will appeal to everyone and also cater for the majority of budgets. Choose one reward or choose them all; our coffee or food bundles are unlimited. With the Poddingtons Keep Cups, once they are gone they are gone so don't hesitate if you've ever wanted one!

The Small print.

• • Please double check the e-mail address you enter as that is the only way we can contact you. We will send hot drink/food vouchers out to your home address on request, or have them ready for collection in store. Likewise with merchandise.
  • All hot drink and food vouchers will be valid across both locations. 
• We plan to open the deal until the end of June but we may keep this open a little longer if we feel we need more time to hit targets
• Once we close the Crowdfunder, we will work as fast as possible to collate names and get the vouchers mailed out ready to use when we re-open

You can support us further in the meantime until we open again by sharing this campaign with anyone you know.

If you no longer live in or around Edinburgh but still want to support us, please click the donation button. Again, this can be done multiple times.

Thank you all and we hope you stay safe.

Gavin, Chris and the Oliver's Team