Ground Floor: Coffee and community at EHFM's new cafe

The Skinny: Tell me about the shift from radio station to cafe!

EHFM: It’s been a steep learning curve, and it will probably continue to be! But we’re incredibly lucky that one of our co-founders runs the brilliant sandwich shop Alby's, so we weren’t completely in the dark when starting things up. 

The whole transition has felt really natural, honestly. Everyone we’ve worked with on this project has been so lovely and completely got what we are trying to do, and the residents of Music Base have made us feel very welcome. Good vibes all round so far!

Has having this kind of physical, public access space helped to build the community aspect of the community radio station?

We want Ground Floor to be a natural meeting place for our presenters and volunteers – the key to fostering and strengthening any community is having a central place for people to come together. We’re still getting to grips with it, but the intention is very much to be able to use the space for our community’s needs – allowing them to use it to host their own events and gatherings. 

There’s a lot of scope to grow the community where we are. The station is situated right above a complex of rehearsal rooms, recording studios and a drum shop so local musicians, bands and producers pass through the space naturally and we hope to pick lots of like-minded music heads along the way.

How do you hope Ground Floor will shape the relationship between EHFM and the city?

Being more visible to the public is also a real development for us! The hope is that by being able to see the radio in action every day, members of the public will be encouraged to have a more casual, IRL relationship with us. Plus, it’ll maybe demystify the process of broadcasting for folk – anyone can do it! – and inspire them to apply for a show of their own. We also want Ground Floor to raise the visibility of EHFM; to let more people know that there is a station based in their city and that reports on local matters and covers local events. 

On a slightly more prosaic note, the cafe helps EHFM take more control over its financial future. It’s very difficult to make money as a radio station and the sales from Ground Floor go towards funding our wee community radio station!

What was it about Leith that felt right? 

Lots of pals of the station have businesses in Leith; art galleries, bars, venues and restaurants (not to mention Alby’s, who supply our focaccia, is just down the road). The area has a tight-knit local community, and already we’ve felt very welcomed by nearby businesses offering their congratulations on the new space and popping in to say hello. There’s a bit of a hub of contemporary culture in Leith, so although we had been looking at spaces across Edinburgh, it felt like a no-brainer for the station to put roots down here.

What’s next for EHFM? What are the ways you want it to grow after this move?

We’ve spent the first six years in Summerhall, but this is the first time we’ve really felt situated in an area – we want to reach out to people in our immediate surroundings and make some meaningful connections there. One of the things we’ve always wanted to do at EHFM is tell the stories of people in the city who are overlooked, and this new public-facing space makes that feel like more of a reality than ever. 

We’re never too interested in growing for growth’s sake. What we’re always thinking about is how we can serve our community of presenters – how we can lift their profile and bring them new opportunities - and how we can create a better experience for a wider range of listeners. 

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Ground Floor, 125 Great Junction St, Edinburgh, EH6 5JB
@groundfloor__ on Instagram