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Roasters Paisley: Dan Smith on business and life
Dan Smith of Paisley’s beloved Roasters sits down with Mill to explain not only his business’ journey, but a deeply personal tale of redemption
If you’re a resident of Renfrewshire or even further afield, you are likely know about Roasters by now. A café that started from humble beginnings, it has now morphed into a phenomenon that has people lining up for the chance to get in. However, it wasn’t an overnight sensation. Instead, it was a byproduct of hard work and the culmination of a meandering, years-long journey for its owner Dan Smith.
“Initially, I was working with my dad in the piano shop [PS Pianos] since I was 12 and over time, I ended up with a lot of back injuries and sciatica. At 18, I sold a piano to the guy who owned what was then Saporito and I immediately knew I wanted to work there. So, I got a job there and pretty much told everyone that it was what I wanted to do with my life.
“I went to uni but at that point, I’d already been in that restaurant environment. Buying and selling is in my blood and I’d already had a business buying and selling t-shirts, as well as selling gym equipment online, which meant that I’d had a taste for making money for myself and couldn’t tell me otherwise.”
After a spell running another coveted Paisley gem in Jam Jar, Dan envisioned having a place of his own. However, Covid derailed that plan. But through perseverance, Roasters came to life in 2021.
“We turned it around in four months,” he recalled. “It wasn’t always plain sailing either. Everyone loves Roasters now, but it was dead when it initially opened and I thought ‘am I going to need to pay influencers or something to come in here?’ I had £403 in my bank account, but I’m proud to say we’ve never asked anyone to come in here or paid for any advertising.
“Then in February 2022, something happened. I don’t know what, but I believed even in the dark. When I had a £1,800 electricity bill that I couldn’t pay and vendors that were asking for money, I still knew it was going to happen. Since then, it’s been f*****g wild and there hasn’t really been any downtime since. Everything you see here I own, so in a way, it’s got to work. People say it’s good to have a plan B, but I don’t have one. This is it.
“There are times where we managed to do 250 covers in one day,” he continued. “But all at the same time, we have a lot of fun here. Now, Roasters two is in the pipeline and it has been for a while now.”
Considering the struggles that he faced to get to this fruitful period in his life, it’s no surprise that Dan knows that it wouldn’t have been possible without a few other people. Namely, his right hand man. Jack Reid.
“He’s my best mate.” Dan relayed. “I met him when I was running Jam Jar and he’s been with me in every business since. The 21st August marked eight years he’s worked for me. That’s crazy, but he’s a major part of everything. His words to me as a 21 year old were that he’d follow me wherever I go and he’s shown me time and time again that he’s a brother.”
Yet even as his business became a rip-roaring success, things weren’t great for Dan internally. Faced with an onslaught within his mind, Dan had experiences that would shape a new path in life which had included a fundraising campaign for Pancreatic Cancer UK that comprises everything from running ultramarathons to special nights in Roasters to raise money for this vital cause.
“Recently was the first time that I had a smile on my face in a while,” he reflected. “Last year, I felt like I had everything and business was booming. I went from having 10, 15 folk working from me to 45 and while I knew that we were doing something different and good, a bit of imposter syndrome kicked in. I’d worked my arse off, but whatever happened in my head, it made me feel that I couldn’t do it. I made a few mistakes and there was a learning curve. It got really bad and I thought I couldn’t cope with the business booming and all the responsibilities.”
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Feeling like he’d “tasted rock bottom”, Dan ended up in a pattern of destructive behaviour that led to him jeopardising personal relationships. Today, with a new lease on life, he looks to make good on promises he’d made back then and be the man he feels he always was and raising money for pancreatic cancer.
“I just imploded and ended up in a bit of a pit. My troubles had all started but initially, I was telling no-one. So, when I was spiralling, I was supposed to run the Manchester marathon for pancreatic cancer. My ex-girlfriend’s dad had passed away from that disease and I tried to train, but I couldn’t train and in the end, I never ran it. I carry a lot of shame and guilt about that. It led to bouts of panic attacks and it made it clear that I didn’t have things under control.”
“Eventually, someone put a hand on my shoulder and said ‘you need to get a grip of your life, this isn’t you’. They said come with me and we’ll run an ultra marathon together. I thought f**k it, so I chucked the smoking, chucked the drinking and stuck to training. So, I went across to Africa and ran 110k across the Sahara. I’d like to go back and finish that one day, but it’s 6,000km so it might take a while.
“But, that sparked a moment of pride and let me know that I wasn’t a failure and I am capable,” he proclaimed. “It lets me know that I’m not the weakling I was and when things are hard, I can always do something that’s harder. It’s a reminder that you are not your past.
“I ran my next ultra in the Isle of Wight and it made the Sahara look like a wean’s birthday party. I ended up in a wheelchair and getting airlifted. But, most importantly, we raised over £4,000 for pancreatic cancer. I wear the full charity colours when I run and it’s great to help to raise awareness.
“ I don’t like running, but if I can do it for a good cause then it’s worthwhile,” he concluded.” I said I would raise money and that’s exactly what I’m doing. It’s a promise upheld and that’s what matters.”
Roasters, 69 High Street, Paisley, PA1 2AY, 07379 719232. Follow Dan and his team on Facebook and Instagram.