Inside the Fossgate Social, the York café bar where they do things differently
A brownie and a schooner of pale ale – sound like an odd and yet somewhat satisfying combo? Well you should head over to the Fossgate Social, York’s new café bar which is doing things differently.
Since bagging a prime spot on Fossgate, brother and sister Mike and Sarah Lakin have invested more than £40,000 into renovating the building, stripping almost everything out from inside and adding new components such as a cellar and a yard in the process.
Opening a business together has been somewhat of dream for the duo for the past three or four years now. “I’ve always wanted to start a business of my own,” says Mike.
Sarah says they were looking for a while before finding their ideal venue at 25 Fossgate.
Sarah is a landscape architect, whilst Mike is a website designer who also dabbles in the music industry.
Although new to the hospitality industry, the two of them are intent on creating an environment where there is an edgy vibe, but not an overt focus on coolness.
Basically it’s indie central.
Food and drink
If you want to get outrageously drunk then this isn’t the place for you as they are all about “sophisticated drinking”.
This, says Mike, has seen an “eclectic range of customers” through the doors since it opened last month.
As a night bar the Fossgate Social serves up Brooklyn Lager schooners for £3.10.
In the day it is a café so that you can get your caffeine fix before you move onto the hard stuff.
As well as a wide range of coffees and pastries, including brownies and cookies, the menu includes paninis for those wanting a light lunch.
“It is very important to provide good quality food, as York’s hospitality standards are constantly improving and customers simply expect it,” Sarah said.
Live music
You’ll be pleased to know that not only do the owners offer to feed and water you, but they also provide you with live entertainment.
Various artists have already performed acoustic sets at the Fossgate Social. It is an indie bar after all.
They included Alex Fox from Attic Records who performed an intimate gig for customers.
Since the performance was so successful, the siblings hope to invest in a sound system of their own in order to accommodate similar performances in the future. Both are “very into music”, says Sarah.
Whilst The Fossgate Social hasn’t had an official launch, the news of its arrival seems to have spread by word of mouth, providing the bar with great success in its first few weeks.