Calum Mackinnon is the brains behind Amicus Apple; one of the city’s most popular bars. He is also a huge supporter of the Motor Neurone Disease Scotland charity, and recently made (and starred in) a raunchy charity calendar to raise money for the cause. We spoke to Calum about starting out in business, his lack of bars skills and the inspiration behind the name…
How did you go about starting up Amicus Apple?
Initially it was a bit of a blank canvas. One day I walked past it and just randomly thought ‘that would make an amazing location for a bar’. At the time I had two friends who were interested in going into a business venture so I had a chat with them, and then before I knew it we’d started up a bar. At that age your dream job is to own a bar, so to be honest we were a bit blinkered at the start. We just kind of rushed into it, and were so enthusiastic and keen that we made a lot of mistakes along the way. I ended up having to buy the other two guys out after a few months because the three of us were trying the take the business in three different directions. After that I had to start afresh again; it was quite challenging.
It sounds difficult…
It really was. When a lot of people start out in business they have these ideas that it’ll be quite easy and that everything will fall in place. And I think my partners at the time just thought that if we opened a bar and opened the doors people would come. But that’s quite hard in Edinburgh. I think it’s got the most bars and restaurants per head in the UK or something crazy like that. So you’ve got to be on top of your game, you’ve got to work hard and you’ve got to keep evolving.
Where does the name come from?
Embarrassingly enough it was actually my mum that came up with the Amicus part. Amicus means ‘friend’ in Latin, and it just seemed to fit together. Also the apple part of the names means we can play that up in our cocktails and branding, as well as playing up that whole Adam and Eve ‘forbidden fruit’ thing. It’s quite sexy and seductive, but also quite wholesome and good.
How would you describe Amicus?
It’s the sort of place that we just want people to come and feel comfortable. Enjoyment is the focus of everything we do, from the food to the interior and cocktails. It’s all quite laidback – nothing too pretentious. The staff are important to making Amicus what it is, as they’re so friendly and knowledgeable.
How hands on are you – can you make a mean cocktail?
I don’t really do behind the bar – I just get in the way unfortunately! I’m too big and clumsy. These guys have been working behind bars for years and they’re incredibly fast. My main focus is developing the business.
Where do you take inspiration from (for the food, drinks, décor etc)?
I look at a lot of bars in New York. We’re actually off to New York this weekend with Tanquery gin – they’re taking us there for the weekend so we can check out what’s cool and what’s happening. I also look at a lot of interior magazines and try and keep a focus on the trends. As for the cocktails, they’re really up to the bar boys who are so creative and do a fantastic job. It’s good to keep things fresh and keep people guessing.
What kinds of things do you like to do outside work?
I like to play golf; I’m a member at Craigielaw. I also love going travelling, chilling out with my girlfriend, going to the beach and things like that. We’ve recently been to Milan and New York. I really love going to these bustling vibrant cities to get inspiration.
What’s the best thing about living in Edinburgh?
Just the city itself. I love it, it’s just so beautiful. You look round everyday and you’ve got the castle; it’s just amazing. I think the architecture is beautiful too. I love to visit cities like New York and London but can never really see myself living there because I find them quite stressful and full-on. One of the best things about Edinburgh is its size. I live a five minute walk from here and can walk everywhere. It’s great.
Where do you like to shop?
The new LAING boutique has an amazing collection of watches. I also like to visit Jeffreys Interiors as I love interior design and they always seem to provide me with great inspiration.
Can you tell us a bit about the charity you support?
I support the charity for Motor Neurone Disease – when I was twelve my dad passed away from the disease. My mum has always done a lot of fundraising for the cause; she did a charity cookbook every year. She raised about £20,000 in one year, and now she’s passed the gauntlet onto me. We had a ladies night in here and we’ve had the calendar. The calendar’s quite embarrassing and we get a bit of slag for it, but it’s all for a good cause! We’ve got another Ladies Night coming up in June too. We’re going to have some topless waiters and some live music in here and hopefully raise some more money for Motor Neurone Disease.
What’s next for Amicus?
We’ve got another little project in the pipeline… and just looking forward to a good summer really! Last year was a bit difficult with the tram works, so this summer we’re really looking forward to them being gone and having a strong festival. We’ll be having live music here once a week and other festival things.
