Locals feared they had lost popular community café Busk in Fishergate after it closed during the pandemic and then planning permission was given to convert it into a two-bed apartment.
But instead the café, which was opened by Sophie Hammill in April 2018, reopened in October 2021 under new owners Sam and Louise Gallagher.
Here Louise tells us all about what makes the new-look Busk special...
 
Who runs the café? 
Sam and I are a young married couple who have been on the speciality coffee scene in York for the past decade. We run the Busk Coffee Shop along with our experienced manager Helen and head barista Gage.

What’s the best thing about your café? 
We’re all about the local area. We want to be a coffee shop for the local people, where they can come and relax with friends and family, or take a few precious moments of quiet time to enjoy great coffee and a warm, happy environment! 

What kind of food and drink do you serve? 
We serve speciality coffee from Square Mile Roasters, along with breakfast options and a wide range of toasted paninis to sit in and take out. We also make all of our cakes ourselves and we’ve always got a full cake cabinet of treats! We have kids options for drinks and food and we’ve got vegan, veggie and gluten-free options. 

Do you have any house specialities? 
Our coffee! We take great care to invest in our baristas and our skills so that we can give people a great tasting cup of coffee! 

What makes your café different from others? 
We’re all about getting to know people. We want to be a place people can come and feel welcome. Somewhere that you can come in and know that you’re going to get great service, but also that we’re genuinely thrilled to see you! 

York Press:

The Busk team, left to right: Manager Helen, owners Louise and Sam and head barista Gage

What’s your favourite story about the café? 
We recently threw a party for all of our neighbouring streets! We went round all the streets around the shop, knocked on doors and introduced ourselves and invited everyone to a party! We had cheese, wine, craft beer - and a magician! 

What’s the best thing about running a café - and the worst? 
The best part is being part of someone’s day to day. We get to give people a special moment in their day, whether it’s their first cup of coffee at the start of a new day or one at the end of a long day! The worst...probably cleaning. 

Sum up what’s special about your café
We’re a local coffee shop, for local people. We want to be part of the fabric of our local area, part of the everyday hum drum of life, and part of the people’s lives that we meet. All with a banging cup of coffee.

  • Busk Coffee Shop, 114 Fishergate, York