Elgin bar Foggies set to open second premises
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ELGIN bar Foggies is set to open a second premises tomorrow after the great success of the first.
The pub, owned by Phil and Katie Witton, first opened its doors in November 2020 and a second venue opens on Friday, January 28, down the street at the old Bonnie Earl premises in Munro Place.
Mr and Mrs Witton moved from the central belt to Bishopmill seven years ago and felt that Elgin's nightlife needed an upgrade.
Neither had any bar experience and only poured their first pints a month before opening. However, although Mr Witton had no experience in running a pub, he said: "I know how I want to be served and what places I want to sit in."
This led to the creation of Foggies Bar and Coffee House on Bridge Street in Elgin, with the couple taking inspiration from some of their favourite venues in the central belt to provide somewhere more inclusive.
The business managed to persevere throughout lockdown restrictions, which forced them to close a month after opening, by becoming Elgin's first alcohol delivery service. This allowed locals to order cocktails from the venue directly to their homes until the bar could reopen in May 2021.
Since then the bar has enjoyed huge success and Mr Witton said that within their current venue they have had to frequently turn customers away on busy Saturday nights.
The owners are hopeful their second venue will provide even greater success and allow more customers to enjoy Foggies, with it allowing for 220 people compared to the other venue's 63.
They also hope that this will allow them to offer more services by providing live music, hand-crafted cocktails, a beer garden and food from a takeaway service opening out of the old Bonnie Earl Store next door.
The couple aim to become more accessible and inclusive to others in the area, as they are now licensed to have children and families visit the bar and renovations have allowed them to also provide baby changing facilities and a gender inclusive toilet.
Mr Witton said he was extremely proud of these changes which allow the company to "cater for everybody and make the bar accessible for everyone".
