Inseparable since childhood, best friends Zara and Stacie opened Piece Out in Stirling Enterprise Park (STEP) in January 2022.
Stacie Costantini said: “Zara and I go way back…all the way to nursery in fact!
“In 2020, after life had taken us in various other directions we began working together again in our home town at The Dunblane Centre.
“We both enjoyed the buzz of working with the public and creating yummy food for them to enjoy. So much so that the idea of Piece Out was conceived.
“It all seemed like a pipe dream, however, the stars aligned and in January 22 we signed the lease for our very own small but perfectly formed café – Piece Out.
“Our mission is to provide tasty freshly made options for breakfast or lunch on the go. We also love to cater for work meetings, parties or larger groups.
“We do love a pun hence the name! Get your piece (sandwich) and take it out – or sit in but there are only a few wee stools.”
While mainly catering for the takeaway market, Stacie and Zara have also been busy catering for business meetings and parties since lockdown restrictions lifted.
Stacie said: “We also make fab breakfast, grazing and picnic boxes for special occasions.
“We felt that, where we are located, there was a gap in the market for freshly made lunch time fodder close by – especially vegan and gluten free options.
“We benefit from free accessible parking right outside our door and if the weather is right we are a pleasant stroll from the city centre.
“Taking the leap to becoming our own bosses has been a scary but exciting move and we are enjoying steering our own ship.
“Being based at STEP, we have met so many likeminded supportive entrepreneurs. It’s been inspiring to listen to them and share tips based on each others experiences.”
Stacie and Zara are keen to encourage more young people into hospitality and are on their way to becoming an SQA approved barista training centre.
Stacie said: “At the moment it is just the two of us but going forward we hope to expand our team and also offer work experience to local high school pupils.
“We’re lucky to have already helped young people achieve their barista accreditation in our previous roles and we’re looking forward to providing these opportunities within our own business.”
She added: “As we both previously worked for a charity we are very aware of how little things an make a big difference.
“It’s important to us to give something back to our community.”
As well as buying from local suppliers, Stacie and Zara have tried to keep the environmental impact of their business to a minimum.
Stacie said: “We use recyclable and reusable packaging as much as possible and are also part of the Too Good To Go initiative, where any potential food waste can be sold on at a reduced cost to customers. Much better than ending up in the bin!”
Fill your tummy at:
Unit 30, STEP, John Player Road, Stirling, FK7 7RP
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