Any heavy social media user will tell you that, these days, it takes something special to stop you in your tracks while scrolling through different apps.
But, filled with pastel colours, cute slogan art and cakes that look (almost) too good to eat, content from one unconventional café in Dennistoun will do just that.
Poppy Murricane, founder of Rawnchy, is brimming with all the energy you would expect from someone so fond of the colour pink as she tells the story of how her vegan-friendly eatery came to be.
READ MORE: How the Deanston Bakery became a Southside staple
She said: “Rawnchy started back in 2016 when I had just come back to Glasgow after working in Thailand as a diving instructor.
“I had learned a lot about the destruction of coral reefs so I was feeling like a wee bit of an eco-warrior.
“So, I started making raw, vegan-friendly cakes because they were good for the environment.”
Emboldened with a passion to ‘single-handedly save the world’, Poppy got to work, and it didn’t take long for others to notice her showstopping creations.
She said: “It all started very small fry.
“I was making the cakes from my mum’s kitchen and posting photos to Facebook.
“A lot of people started to get in touch saying that they had relatives who were gluten free or vegan and asked if I could make a celebration cake for them.
“Then a restaurant owner approached me when I was doing farmers markets around Glasgow.
“Before long I was stocking 25 places all over Scotland.”
Suddenly finding herself in need of a larger workspace, Poppy took on an empty unit in Maryhill where she soon learned that taking the time develop her own unique aesthetic was a sure-fire way to attract customers.
She said: “I painted my first production unit pink to make it look nice because that’s very me.
“It’s just what I do.
“But it really caught people’s attention and they started come in asking for a table thinking that I was a café.
“I realised that I was missing a trick and that there was no harm in sticking a wee coffee machine in to see what would happen.
“I just thought why not give it a go?”
It was a lesson that Poppy would take with her to her new home in the East End.
Not only does the Bellgrove Street café serve picture-perfect plates of food, but the signature Rawnchy style continues to tempt passers-by to stop and investigate.
READ MORE: New family run cake shop to open next weekend in Glasgow's Southside
Poppy said: “I’m a wee bit of an interior design queen.
“I love styling things and I’m a stereotypical girl when it comes to the colour pink.
“Aside from that, I knew that it would make us stand out.
“When we opened Instagram was the number one social media platform and I just knew that the café would be insta heaven.
Despite being a smash hit on Instagram, with changing times a new social media platform has risen in popularity and introduced the shop to a whole new demographic of Glasgow foodies.
@rawnchycafe what I do in a day #vegancafe #vegan #veganrecipes #glasgow #smallbusiness #veganchef #CloseYourRings #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #cakes ♬ So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings - Caroline Polachek
Poppy said:“One of our staff members created our TikTok account and to be honest it makes me feel a bit ancient.
“I had no idea the power of TikTok.
“I’ve had so many people contact me since she put the videos being up.
“I can’t say that I fully understand it but I’m absolutely delighted.”
It’s great to see this quirky little café flourish, and Poppy says that a lick of pink paint aside, it’s the support of her local community that continues to allow her to follow her dream.
@rawnchycafe Why does she say cafe like that #vegan #vegancake #veganuary #smallbusiness #cakedecorating #foryoupage #fyp #foryou #viral ♬ The Hustle - Van McCoy
She said: “I was saved by the locals of Dennistoun.
“We opened just when lockdown hit and the people there really rallied around us.
“They’re so wonderful and supportive of the local community.
“That being said I’m considering opening a second shop in another area of the city with slightly more footfall like the Southside.
“Starting in Dennistoun was fantastic but I’m excited to spread my wings a little.
“I often have to pinch myself and think ‘is this really my life’?
“It’s been a hard few years but I think we’ve managed to survive, or even thrive in the last couple of months.
“Long may that continue.”
For more information on Rawnchy click here.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here