New cafe announces opening date at Kirkcaldy's Kings Theatre

A Couple O’Mugs is expanding into the Kings Theatre on the Esplanade later this month.

It already has an established coffee shop in the Olympia Arcade, which will continue to operate, and will launch its new partnership with the Kings from November 21.

It plans to open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays during the day, as well as extending its 10:00am -5:00pm hours when there are shows or events on at the Kings. The cafe will be based in the existing bar.

It’s a big step forward for the Kings and opens the venue up to day-time visitors ahead of the panto season which gets underway on December 5 and runs across the festive season into January.

The addition of a cafe will also allow it to make use of the plaza at the front of the landmark building - raising its profile even further.

The Kings has been looking at adding a cafe or food offering for some time, and the partnership will fit both parties.

JohnO Murdoch-Paul, from Couple O’Mugs, said: “The two venues are far enough away from each other and in different locations in the town centre to both work. We want to bring some different to the Kings, and the aim is to open it up during the day.

“We’ll keep the menu simple - coffee, soup and hot dogs is how we started at Couple O’Mugs before expanding. We’ll do the same at the Kings and see how the market goes.”

JohnO explained how the arcade links lead him to the Kings.

“I have been there since 2017, and took over the Black Cat cafe. Amby Stanyer-Hunter has his Dance Shack at the Olympia Arcade and is heavily involved in staging shows and events here, and he might have dropped my name into conversations about the possibility of doing something.

“I spoke to the Kings trustees and they thought it was a great idea - a local charity and business supporting each other. That support is the way forward for all concerned - we need to help each other as much as possible.”

With Couple O’Mugs coffee shop building up a good clientele, and also staging several live shows in its premises, it also felt like a natural fit - the Kings is home to a packed monthly comedy club, and is the go-to place for live music, cabaret, and has also added drama and there to its portfolio this year.

It is also home to a growing colony of artists in residence who have filled the rooms on the first floor, and recently hosted the town’s first vegan festival which was a huge success.

Being able to open its doors during the day will bring it to the attention of many more locals and visitors.

John Murray, chair of the Kings Theatre Kirkcaldy, welcomed the cafe’s launch, hailing it “an excellent addition” to the building.

“The Kings been growing steadily for some time with many great shows, and now artists is residence, and a cafe. It is going very well, and we are delighted to be able to offer coffee and food - it’s an extension of where we want to be as part of the community in the town centre.

“There is great footfall here and we have the waterfront and Fife Coastal Path on our doorstep - this will be great place to pop in for a coffee.”

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