- Hinba has grown from a single coffee shop in Oban into a group of seven cafés, bakeries and restaurants across Glasgow and the west of Scotland, despite wider pressure on the sector.
- The business has more than doubled in size in 18 months, employs over 50 people and has increased turnover by 150% in the past year.
- Founder Fergus McCoss attributes the growth to timing, clear decision-making and a focus on factors within the company’s control.
At a time when many Scottish hospitality businesses face rising costs, tight margins and frequent closures, a coffee shop that opened on Oban harbour has expanded into one of the country’s fastest-growing independent groups.
Founded in 2019, Hinba now operates seven venues across Glasgow and the west coast. Its portfolio includes four cafés, a bakery and two restaurants. Over the past 18 months, the business has more than doubled in size, grown its workforce to over 50 people and now sells more than 350,000 coffees each year. Turnover rose by 150% in the last year.
Founder Fergus McCoss says the growth has come from acting when opportunities appeared, rather than following a long-term expansion plan.
He said: “Sites are closing every week as the industry’s at a real turning point. Margins are tighter than ever but there’s still a market there: people still want to go out for a great coffee or meal. That means there are opportunities everywhere. We just said yes when the right ones popped up.
“The last few years have been a whirlwind. While we’re primarily focused on consolidating what we have, and putting our own stamp on things, we’re still searching for a Glasgow roastery. Of course, we’ll never say no to the right opportunity.
“We can’t really do anything about NIC, rates, or inflation, so we don’t waste too much time worrying about it and instead control what we can control. All day, every day, we search for creative ways to deliver the quality people deserve while being a great place to work..”
Hinba’s first move beyond Oban came in 2022 with the opening of a café on Dumbarton Road in Glasgow. A second West End site followed a year later on Great Western Road. The pace of expansion increased last year when James Aitken, owner of Us V. Them, approached McCoss about selling his Sauchiehall Street venue. The deal gave Hinba its first city centre presence.
Shortly after, the business began searching for a bakery to secure supply after repeated closures by third-party producers. Discussions followed with Mhairi Taylor, owner of a bakery in Hyndland and Zique’s, a long-established West End restaurant.
Within weeks, Hinba had moved into restaurant ownership for the first time and also acquired the building that housed Zique’s. The venue continues to trade as a neighbourhood brunch restaurant, with gradual changes introduced by the Hinba team.
The group has since added Eighty Eight in Finnieston, the restaurant next to its first Glasgow café, marking its second step into restaurant operations.
Alongside expansion, Hinba has focused on strengthening the business model. Its bakery now supplies all sites and runs at full capacity. The team tracks waste, plans production around weather patterns and forecasts demand using data rather than estimates.
He added: “Hospitality businesses often run on instinct. I don’t think that’s enough anymore, the costs are too high. You need passion, but you also need to interrogate the numbers. We’re proud of the team we’ve built and want to provide opportunities for them to grow, so we have a responsibility to grow responsibly. We want to be around for a long time to come.”
McCoss returned to Scotland just before lockdown after nearly ten years in Palma de Mallorca, where he worked on super yachts and met figures including George Lucas. He now runs Hinba with his wife, Ness, who manages operations, finance and systems. The couple recently welcomed their first child.
When not working, McCoss often walks between sites in Glasgow’s West End with Ness, their son and their two German Shepherds. He still travels to Oban each week to oversee roasting, but the close grouping of venues now allows much of the work to be done on foot.
“We don’t want to be on every high street,” he said. “But if it says Hinba on the door, we want you to know the coffee will be great, the food will be honest and made with care. Our biggest focus is earning people’s trust.”