Pink Lane Coffee, Newcastle
After a job interview back home, I decided to spend some time exploring some of the smaller, less commercial coffee shops in Newcastle to get some research. My favourite by far was Pink Lane coffee, a tiny little haven, tucked away up a side street just outside the train station. Less of a simple café, more of a coffee bistro, serving homemade cakes and snacks with specialist coffee sourced from remote corners of the planet (as depicted in the blackboard painted world map, stars indicating the source of each blend- a lovely idea!). I had never been before but will most definitely be visiting again.
It’s charm is undeniable as soon as you walk in the door, with large sanded beams of wood flooring, probably the original the building was made with. All of the furniture was mismatched, looking more like an antique showroom than a coffee shop, with salvaged benches and sofa’s littering the room, odd chairs and stools pulled up to the bar and pressed against flakey painted tables. A large woodwork table is against one of the walls, with varnish and glue stains all over and a vice still attached. The top is half covered in large jars of condiments and cutlery, the rest with leaflets and flyers for local independent businesses.
On the walls are various pieces of art in frames, others with hand drawn illustrations by local artists on. The wall behind the large stone coffee bar has blackboards on for price lists and art to do with the coffee shop like logo’s and merchandise. On the side of the bar is a large glass case for the cakes and sandwiches. At the back of the store is a large bookcase, displaying more merchandise and coffee samples available for purchase.
I found it hard to believe that I had found exactly what I had pictured for my store, but it was absolutely perfect. The customers went about their day, some sitting in couples sipping at their cups, others tapping away at laptops and making important phone calls. And there I sat, matching the exact description of my key demographic - a student, ordering coffee one after the other, doing my uni work and bunking the wi-fi.
