Scott, 32, explains how No-Hands Rest came about. “We both work in the creative industry and worked together quite a lot. We were looking for a standalone space to work from but were underwhelmed with what was available so started to get inspired about what we could create with the right space when we found it. We weren’t looking for a coffeehouse at all, although I had worked in one before. Now it’s become our primary thing.”

Marc, who is from Liverpool and a photographer, had moved from the city in August 2022. Scott, a graphic designer and filmmaker, used to visit the Lakes to go climbing from his home city of Leeds. “I came up for Kendal Mountain Festival and got really inspired by it and decided to take the plunge.” He now lives in Ulverston with his partner Ylana and new baby girl. The opportunity for the business came in the shape of the former Costa in the old K Village building on the banks of the Kent. The shopping centre closed some time ago with Travelodge opening in a large part of it and a gym based in the ground floor corner premises.

Scott, 31, says: “In Leeds we often went to public workspaces. We had a good idea of what works really well and started brainstorming about creating a co-working space. “We wanted something that fitted snug in the middle with the cosmetics of a café and a place where people can go to work all day if they want. We have a lot of regulars who come in most days, gym users and local residents. “There are power sockets everywhere and we actively encourage people to come and work here. We have to have the lights and heating on anyway, and it only costs 12p a day to charge a laptop, so it doesn’t cost us any extra if people want to stay. “We were looking for a workspace, but this is much more than we could have got from that, it’s a co-working, community hub.”

Scott’s creative talent was put towards creating their branding and they also designed the Scandi-style interior themselves, doing much of the work too, from the woodwork to the tiling, with the help of friends. Marc says: “It’s been an experiment and a testbed for branding and design, and so far it’s worked.”

They admit running a café has been a huge learning curve. “More like a learning vertical line,” he laughs. “We’re learning all the time.”

Coffee and teas are sourced from Kendal company Podda & Wren and hot chocolate from Blendsmiths, of Carnforth. Due to high demand, bakes and sweet treats come from Cakehead, of Coventry. Soup is made by the team on site. “Our food offer is quite small at the moment but we are looking to expand.”

It is not just in the menu where they have plans to grow. Marc says: “We already know there’s a hub of creative people here. We find ourselves getting to meet people just through being here and a lot of opportunities have come up since we opened.

“We’re hoping to use the old entrance area of the shopping mall as a dedicated events space. We’ve had a lot of support from our landlord, Miles Allen, and Kendal Futures, and we had some funding from Kendal BID for signage.

“We’re already hosting events in the coffeehouse, everything from speakers to film screenings and creative classes. We’ve even got a menopause and women’s health event.

We’ve started out with a really clear set of values and mission and if something grabs us and fits then we’ll do it, whether that’s art exhibitions, launches or networking events. We’re much more than a coffeehouse.”

It includes giving NHS staff 15 per cent off their bill. “If we can do that as a small, independent café then why can’t the bigger companies?” he asks. “It’s our way of trying to give something back where we can and setting a precedent in terms of what we stand for in the community. It comes at a loss for us but it’s the right thing to do.

“We treat the business like a blank canvas; it’s an opportunity to do things that fit with our core principle to be motivated by friendship,” he adds laughing, “although people have wondered about two guys hosting a menopause event.”

Written by: Sarah French x Cumbria Life