Scran has made a name for itself as one of Glasgow's best and busiest cafes.

Its success can be attributed to the passionate chef at its helm, Chris Mears, who has earned the brunch destination a loyal following of "Scran fans" since it first opened on Alexandra Parade in 2018.

But despite its popularity, Scran has been hit with a series of knocks amid the cost of living crisis.

In October 2022, Chris announced on social media that Scran would be closing its doors in Dennistoun and moving to a smaller unit on London Road.

Glasgow Times:

Chris, 44, said: "We moved from Alexandra Parade because costs were spiralling out of control."

The new, smaller location was "the last roll of the dice" and Chris put "every last penny" into doing it up.

He said: "It's more streamlined. We've streamlined the menu a bit.

"We've had to cut back on staff and we're all working a bit harder.

"It's more stressful, but we're trying not to sacrifice quality and the standards are still really high.

"It's a struggle, but we're not willing to give up yet."

Even in the new unit, energy bills are extremely high.

Chris said: “We’ve gone from about £600 a month this time last year up to around £2500 a month, which is totally unsustainable for a small 14-seater café.

“We’ve been assured government aid is on the way, but nothing has transpired as of yet.

“And that’s us using less equipment, we’ve cut back on so many things, like switching the ovens off during quiet times.

“I’ve never had to do that in my 25 years as a chef. We’re paying £70 a day in electricity alone, it’s like having another member of staff, which is another thing we’ve had to cut back on.”

Glasgow Times:

He added: “I’m paying myself minimum wage as a business owner after being open for four years.

“I thought I would be in a better position than this, you know. I’m paying myself less than the actual staff.

“But to keep the business open you need to do these things. It’s pretty dire.”

Chris works five days a week in the restaurant and takes his days off when the business is closed and has loved working in a kitchen since his teens.

Chris said: “I did my first shift as a 16-year-old dishwasher and I fell in love with the buzz of the kitchen.

“It’s a real passion. When I come home from work at night I’ll keep cooking.

“I’m always thinking about food. It keeps me up at night if I've overcooked an egg or forgotten something. It really does matter to me.

“Every plate of food you put out, it’s almost like giving a part of yourself.

“I would hate to stop, but the way things are going you never know what's around the corner."

Glasgow Times:

Scran has thousands of followers on social media and customers flock to the cafe for its high-quality, Instagram-worthy plates.

Chris said: “We use various local suppliers who produce in small batches using the best of ingredients, which we are proud to represent.

“But it doesn’t come at a small cost.”

“We were willing to pay the price and our customers were willing to pay the price, so we don’t want to stop using these guys.

“But the knock-on effect is maybe we have to. And then our produce is less quality, which we’re not willing to do.

“I would rather close my doors before we sacrifice the standards that our customers are used to."

Some urgent help is needed for small businesses to cover the costs of energy and inflated food prices, Chris says.

He added: “They are going to have to be slashed dramatically.

“If this doesn’t happen then we’re going to lose all of our favourite small independents, there’s going to be none left at all.”

Glasgow Times:

Scran has had to increase prices and slash margins to keep their plates priced appropriately for a cafe.

Chris said: “We’re extremely busy and we’re very fortunate to have such a good following.

"We’re queued out the door every weekend with an hour wait for a table.

“But it doesn’t matter how busy you are because it’s all relative.

“The busier we are, the more produce I have to buy, the more staff I have to get in, the more electricity I use.

“We’re just treading water, just keeping our heads above water.

"We’re reluctant to chuck in the towel yet, we’re going to fight until the bitter end to make sure that doesn’t have to happen."