North East entrepreneur, Mark Graham aged 40, has swapped managing community facilities for coffee, protein shakes and overnight oats after taking the plunge and opening his own wellness-focused café. KULT has become a well-known site to those who pass Gosforth High Street, which combines specialty coffee with a growing range of wellness and fitness-focused food and drinks.
After years of working in the management community facilities and school lettings, Mark decided it was time to follow his long-held ambition and create a business of his own. Mark said: “I’d always wanted to do something totally different and follow a passion.
“I’ve always enjoyed coffee and I love it, but I’ve also got my Level 3 personal training qualification and have always been interested in fitness and nutrition.”
While Gosforth has many cafes and coffee shops to choose from, KULT’s focus on wellness and fitness makes it unique. Mark said: “I thought there are a million different coffee places you can go to, but I wanted to create somewhere that fitted with me.
“I like going for a coffee, but I also like to train and make sure I’m eating properly afterwards. When the opportunity came up in Gosforth with lots of fitness businesses around the area, it just seemed to make sense from a business perspective. I finally took the leap, although quite a few people thought I was mad, especially with the hospitality industry being as challenging as it is.”
Despite having no previous experience as a barista, Mark threw himself straight into everything coffee with an intensive barista training before opening KULT and has spent the cafe’s first nine months learning and developing the business. With a wide range on offer, one of the biggest sellers is the Biscoff protein overnight oats which has become a customer favourite.
Mark at KULT(Image: The Bigger Picture Agency)
Mark said: “They’re absolutely flying. You get more than 30 grams of protein and they’re like a full meal but they taste like a dessert. People come in and buy three or four at a time.” The second biggest seller is their peanut butter and banana protein shake but the current trend of matcha is also a success, a surprise to Mark.
He said: “I didn’t expect matcha to be as popular as it is. We’re actually selling more iced matchas than cappuccinos, which has surprised us but it’s a huge trend at the moment.” Although Mark initially expected KULT’s main customers to be fitness enthusiasts, the reality has been very different.
The café has attracted customers from a wide range of backgrounds, passions and age groups, which is something Mark says is central to the business he wanted to create. He said: “We’ve got everything from retired people who come because they’re curious through to people who are really into fitness and nutrition. People might assume Gosforth is just an affluent area, but that’s not the reality everywhere.
“With the cost of living crisis, we’re seeing people from all different walks of life coming through the doors. For me, customer service is hugely important. I love getting to know people, finding out a little bit about their background and what they do. I wanted KULT to be somewhere where people feel comfortable coming in, whatever their reason for being there.”
Mark has also built his team around the same emphasis on customer service. He currently employs five part-time members of staff and says he deliberately focused on personality rather than simply looking for previous hospitality experience.
Mark at KULT(Image: The Bigger Picture Agency)
Mark said: “I wanted to hire the person first. It’s very easy to get carried away thinking you need someone with a certain amount of experience, but skills can be taught. The most valuable thing for me is someone who come through the door, is friendly and has a bit of crack with people. That’s what makes the difference and it’s worked well for us.” Of course the first thing that stands out about KULT, alongside its bright green exterior, is its name.
Mark said he wanted something short, memorable and capable of becoming more than simply the name of a coffee shop. He said: “It’s definitely a name you either a name you love or hate. My dad absolutely hates it and started saying ‘You’re going to join a cult, you’re starting a cult!’ But I wanted something short and something that could become a brand.
“I don’t see KULT as just a coffee shop. There are lots of different directions we can take it in, including events and different wellness activities. I wanted something people would see and think ‘What’s that?’ It starts a conversation.”
Nine months into the new venture, Mark admits the experience has been a steep learning curve but has no regrets about taking the leap. He said: “It’s all been a bit mad a crazy. Sometimes I feel like my head’s going to explode but it’s going well. For year one, I’m happy with it. Now I just need to keep building on it.”
KULT is open to readers and visitors Mondays to Friday from 7:30am until 4pm, 9am until 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays 10am until 4pm on Gosforth High Street.