My parents come from a hospitality background. My dad is a chef. I was always interested in it, and I dreamed of opening my own cafe.
I’ve always been interested in business and enterprise, so I decided to study for a BA in international business at the University of Limerick.
With modules on accounting, marketing and management, as well as enterprise, I could see the relevance of the course for setting up a business. But I’d already been learning from my parents about the industry and, during college, was able to do some social media work for their cafe.
I planned to take over their business, but then a unit came up in Adare, Co Limerick, and I had an itch to scratch. I was only 22 – I’m 23 now – but knew I was ready; I knew I could do this, and I had my own vision for what it would be like.
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I started my final year of college in September. I got the unit for The Poppy Cup in December, and I opened it in February – just months before my final exams. This meant really putting my planning skills into action. I knew what I needed in terms of the electrics and the fit-out, and I’d known for a long time what I wanted on my cafe’s menu. I even knew who my coffee suppliers would be.
I worked in the cafe for three days a week in the run-up to the exams, and was lucky that I had great staff and that my mam could manage it for me when I was in college.
It wasn’t easy, as when I was in college I was thinking about the The Poppy Cup and when I was in the cafe, I was thinking about college. But I knew it would all get done in the end, and it wouldn’t be for long.
During my four years in UL, I went on Erasmus to Jönköping, Sweden, and I later did an eight-month work placement with Maples, a legal and financial firm.
I also was an ambassador for the Kemmy Business School in UL, talking to parents and students and giving them my own insight, which was that it is triple-accredited and a great place to learn. This role helped me a lot with my personal professional development, as I got to meet and network with parents and students, and develop my public-speaking skills.
Having accounting skills is so useful as a business owner: I can do my own VAT returns, organise PRSI and understand what my accountant is telling me.
There are always challenges in a business, particularly as costs rise. I would have liked to see the Government bring the VAT rate for hospitality down to 9 per cent.
But, overall, we have a loyal customer base and a strong social-media following. Businesses need to stand out, and differentiate themselves, so we also run various events and collaborations. And we’re getting ready to open our second branch.
