Weekender: Coffee and donut shop fills a hole at former salon

A couple have enhanced Hull city centre’s food offer by setting up shop in a former hair salon.

Megan Hayward and Jack Nicklas have established Revival Coffee and Donuts, and hope to create as many as ten jobs when the business becomes fully operational.

The couple, who live in Cottingham, came up with the idea of opening a specialist coffee and donuts shop after being impressed by similar businesses on their travels around the country.

Equipped with a £20 fryer, Hayward set about dishing up prototype donuts and, encouraged by the responses after testing on family and friends, secured a contract to supply a café in Hull.

She said: “By the second week people were queueing at the café, waiting for our delivery. Then other businesses heard about our donuts and started to contact us and it built up from there.”

Demand surged again after the couple took their wares to the Good Things Market in Humber Street and sold 250 donuts in less than two hours. They intensified their search for premises and have now converted the former salon in Ferensway.

Hayward said: “It was a struggle to find the right unit but the place we have is too good to be true. It’s in a great location and we were able to make the changes we wanted.

“We had a soft opening over two days at the beginning of July and just invited family and friends. It went very well and we’re now looking forward to our official opening on 18 July.”

Kathryn Shillito, HullBID executive director, said: “We’re delighted that Megan and Jack have found their ideal premises in the city centre.

“We’ve heard great things about their coffee and donuts and we look forward to working with them to spread the word.”