“A friend of mine recently reminded of this – how I dreamed of having this little, cosy cafe where I can welcome everybody,” Nadia recalls.
“It’s been 23 years since we had this conversation, I had even forgotten about it – but I feel like I’ve always had it at the back of my mind.
“And now the time is right to just take a leap and follow my dream, my passion.”
The long and winding road to get to Thistle Street cafe
I meet Nadia in another west end coffee shop not all that dissimilar to the one she is preparing to open on Thistle Street.
After bonding over our shared caffeine habits at a secluded corner table in Parx Cafe, the mum-of-three tells me all about her plans.
Her passion for the industry was instilled in her at a young age when she helped her parents out at their restaurant in South Africa.
But life took her in many different directions – moving from there to Ireland about 25 years ago, and running a clothes boutique before relocating to Aberdeen in 2014.
And she didn’t stop there.
In the years that followed, Nadia raised three children, worked as a self-employed therapist and even had a stint at an oil and gas company.
But the notion of running her own cafe had always been there.
And when the 51-year-old was made redundant in June, she took this as an opportunity to at last follow her heart.
Aptly, this is exactly why she named her new venture Cafe Moyo – which translates to heart in Ndebele, a language spoken in South Africa.
“This cafe is my heart, my soul, everything that I am on a plate,” she beams.
“It’s my baby.”
What is the new west end cafe all about?
Nadia can barely contain her excitement as she takes me through her plans for the cafe – and I don’t think it’s just because she’s had three cups of coffee today.
She starts by telling me how it will be inspired by her travels to Hong Kong, which has an abundance of intimate, independent coffee shops.
Little else in the world makes Nadia happier than snuggling up with a good book in one of these charming spots, and this is what she hopes to replicate in Aberdeen.
The food will be “high end but affordable”, while the interior will be “Japandi” – a mix of Japanese and Scandinavian styles.
There will be just four tables, a window bar and a little snug area for customers looking for a spot of peace and quiet.
“Hong Kong is one of my favourite cities in the world – the people, the smells, the diversity, the vibrancy…And that’s what I’m hoping to bring to this cafe.
“Cafe Moyo is going to have a bit of everything I am, and all of the places I have been to and are important to me – my home in South Africa, Hong Kong, Ireland and Scotland.
“And I’ve put my heart and soul into every single detail – from the design of the logo, to the interior and the coffee cups customers will be able to take away.
“I just want it to be a place where people can unwind and feel comfortable.”
‘I’ve always loved that little street’
And what about the Thistle Street location?
Well, there’s no better place for a start-up in Aberdeen than the lane known for its high percentage of independent businesses.
“I’ve always loved that little street,” Nadia shrugs with a smile.
“I don’t know, there is just something about Thistle Street – it’s vibrant, it’s diverse, and you have all of these little independent places popping up.
“It feels like we are in this together as a community – all of us just trying to do something we love, and there is space for everybody.”
Would you like to see more businesses like Cafe Moyo in Aberdeen? Let us know in our comments section below
‘I want Cafe Moyo in Aberdeen to be an experience’
As I sip the last of my flat white, Nadia reflects on how she got here.
“I love food, I love coffee, and I love people – that sums it up perfectly, doesn’t it?
“Everything that I have done, all of those experiences that I’ve had over the years, have brought me to this point where I get to fulfil my dream.
“And this is exactly what I want Cafe Moyo to be – not just food and coffee, but an experience and a feeling.”
