Taking a stance to help the community in Fife

Cafe Stance had been closed for around nine months after its previous owner had retired – and was a loss to many elderly or infirm locals who frequented it after getting off buses.

Now it’s open again after the owners of nearby Plain Fayre, Jessie and Allan Halliday, felt they were in a position to expand their business.

Jessie said: “We’ve doubled our workload but hopefully it’ll pay off and it’s bringing business into Kirkcaldy.

“There are too many empty units just sitting there. I’ve had people already saying that it’s great to see it back open. It’s starting to build up gradually so it’s good.”

After nine years working as a home help, Jessie took over Plain Fayre in The Postings when it’s previous owners, Allan’s parents, retired.

She said: “I had plenty of retail experience but had never owned a business before, but it’s great.

“It can be tiring but it has its own rewards – I really enjoy meeting the people. Everyone is very friendly and we have people coming into Plain Fayre daily.”

It was for those reasons that Jessie and Allan, who is general manager at Dundonald Bluebell, decided to branch out and take over Cafe Stance.

“I knew that people were missing it,” Jessie said, “There were a lot of people who came here when they got off the bus because they couldn’t make it down the stairs to Plain Fayre.

“We took this on because we’re not just a business, I take some of my customers shopping to them – that’s the home care side of me coming out again!

“We’re more than a cafe – we’re like a wee family.”