Good Craic Café opens on Inverness High Street
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A new hospitality venue has opened on the High Street.
Good Craic Café opened its doors on December 5, and is now serving up dishes such as Cullen Skink, fish and chips, and toasties. It also has cakes from Three Little Bakers and speciality coffee and tea on the menu.
For owner Jackie McIntosh, Good Craic Café has been a long-time in the making.
She said: “We were meant to open in July but due to problems getting an extractor fan in, we only managed to open up this month.
“It's been great so far, and the team and I haven’t stopped.”
Ms McIntosh has worked in the hospitality sector for the majority of her life, having been the landlady at The Fluke on Culcabock Road for 12 years. She has also worked at the Kingsmills Hotel for seven years and has had her own guest house at one point too.
Opening up her own café is something Jackie has always wanted to do. She said: “This cafe is my retirement present to myself.
“I love this trade and I love people. Chatting to people and making them feel welcome is my passion.
“I like the social side of hospitality, and I have a great empathy with strangers straight away, so it is perfect for me.”
Commenting on the name of the business, Ms McIntosh said: “Humour is my thing, so that is why Good Craic Café works.
“I am well known for my laugh and I have always been a giggler.
“I just wanted to create somewhere that people can come and they know they will get a chat, and be made to feel welcome. That’s really important to me.”
Good Craic Café is a family affair, as Ms McIntosh has her brother, sister and nephew all working for her. She has also managed to recruit two staff members she worked at The Fluke with 28 years ago, and a member of staff from the Kingsmills Hotel.
“We have the whole family on board, so it is a right laugh in here”, said Ms McIntosh.
“It's great to be working with people I worked with years ago, once again.”
Ms McIntosh has managed to rope her husband Andrew Crombie into collecting deliveries that arrive at the café, but he won’t be going near the kitchen she says!
Ms McIntosh is now looking forward to the future of the business: “I think once we get through the first part of the year, we’ll be laughing.
“I have more plans for next year like setting up a Pay It Forward scheme and opening up on Christmas day, so those who need somewhere to go can come along.”
