Laura Day on Building Fête: “We sold coffee for three hours a week... and it snowballed from there”

by Shannon Kate Murray, Founder & Editor of High Flying Design

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When you walk into Fête in Chelmsford, it doesn’t feel like a typical restaurant. It’s warm, calm, welcoming - a place where people linger. Upstairs, there might be a baby shower or a knit-and-natter in full swing. Downstairs, you’ll find Laura Day: greeting regulars, taking orders, and keeping the whole place moving with effortless calm.

Fête began as a lockdown coffee van. Today, it’s a two-storey independent eatery and events space with a team of 28. Co-founded with her partner, chef Tobias Godfrey, Laura has built something quietly remarkable - not just a restaurant, but a community hub powered by high standards, real connection, and hard-won resilience.

We sat down to talk about starting small, staying hands-on, and what it really takes to run an independent hospitality business without burning out.

Let’s start at the beginning. What was the original idea?

Laura: “We bought the van because we thought it was an easy-ish way to do something of our own. We were both still working full-time - me as an assistant manager and Tobias as a head chef. We only sold coffee for three hours a week. Just something to do. And then… it snowballed.”

What did that snowball look like in real time?

Laura: “It was COVID - people needed a reason to be out. We had a socially distanced queue all the way up the driveway. We did the same thing again in another street. It worked because it was simple.

Then a unit became available across the yard on a rolling contract. We made a pop-up, took orders through Facebook Messenger. Eventually, the space we’re in now opened up. We sold the van to fund the fit-out. It’s been step by step. It still is.”

Did you always know you’d work in hospitality?

Laura: “I think I’m one of the only people who actually wanted to work in restaurants from the start. When I was little, I used to go around the table and write down my family’s orders like I was their waitress.

I also wanted to be a journalist. I had a uni place for journalism, but didn’t get the grades. I had a backup for hospitality management, but then I went travelling… and just kept working in restaurants.

Now I do both – I run Fête and I write a column for Chelmsford’s Magazine, Over The Edge, about the realities of service. Because I really believe in this work. Waiting tables is a profession. I’d go as far as to say it’s an art.”

You and Tobias co-founded Fête together. What makes that dynamic work?

Laura: “We stay in our lanes. He runs the kitchen. I run the floor. I don’t go in the kitchen giving opinions. He doesn’t comment on the plant on the table. We’re both responsible for our own teams.

That boundary is really important. Especially in hospitality. The energy comes from the team – if they’re not getting on, the service will feel disjointed. We had to learn that fast. You’ve got to separate your roles so respect doesn’t blur.”

What does your week actually look like now?

Laura: “We both work Tuesday to Sunday. Straight through. That’s when the restaurant’s open. I do the admin on Thursdays. That’s my catch-up day. I handle the accounts, rotas, and bookings. All the planning.

We sometimes get away for beach breaks, or I’ll go for a run. I’ve only just recently had my first holiday without my laptop. I did Reformer Pilates every day and didn’t check my emails. That was huge.”

It’s such a people-heavy business. How do you manage the emotional side of that?

Laura: “You’re basically reading people all day. That’s the job. And I enjoy it. But it is exhausting. That’s why I always say – bait the hook to suit the fish. You read the guest’s energy and tailor the experience. If they’re in a hurry, keep it quick. If they want to talk, give them space to linger.

That also applies to the team. Some staff are very different at work than they are outside of it. And you’ve got to hold that. Everyone brings their own energy. I’m more measured. Tobias is more fiery. It’s about knowing how to be a calming influence, but also how to hold boundaries.”

Is hiring one of the hardest parts?

Laura: “Yes. Always. You can’t tell if someone’s going to be good until week three. The first week is the honeymoon – they’re charming, polite, saying the right things. Then week three comes and you see the real person. That’s when you know.”

Fête feels really welcoming – was that intentional in the design?

Laura: “100%. I never wanted anyone to think, “I’m not dressed up enough to go in there.” But I also didn’t want it to feel like it wasn’t special.

We did have an interior designer at first, but designers always think you have more money than you do. So I ended up doing it myself. We didn’t touch the big staircase - the building’s got so much character. We just made it comfortable, honest.”

What did you take from working at Côte?

Laura: “Precision. They literally counted the sugars in the pot. I still carry that. That’s why the team joke I’m obsessed with the details.”

You write about service as an art form. What’s the magic moment for you?

Laura: “Eight o’clock on a Friday. The bar team’s in the flow. The floor staff are laughing with the guests. The kitchen’s on it. That’s when it all clicks. That’s what makes it worth it.”

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about running a business?

Laura: “That it is hard. [laughs] Really hard. You’re not just the founder. You’re the emotional ballast, the bookkeeper, the brand. You’re holding everyone together.

I’d tell my younger self: open a smaller restaurant. Just so you’ve got fewer people to manage.

But also: celebrate the wins. Because it’s easy to forget. You get caught up in the stress. You don’t even realise what you’ve built until you see it through someone else’s eyes.”

Laura’s recs for anyone starting an independent restaurant/hospitality business:

• Define roles early – it’ll save you a lot of tension.

• Show up – people care when the founder’s in the room.

• Trust your gut – marketing doesn’t need to be fancy.

• Don’t over-tech the experience – make it human.

• Hire past the honeymoon – week three reveals everything.

• Read the room – and bait the hook to suit the fish.

• Own mistakes – never give a guest a bad reason to come back.

And finally – how would you describe Fête today?

Laura: “It’s a relaxed place where people feel looked after. It’s community-focused. It’s honest. It’s still evolving. But I’m proud of what it’s become. And I’m here. Still on the floor. Still doing the work. Still learning how to celebrate it all."

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Laura’s story reminds us that success doesn’t always come from scaling fast or going big. Sometimes it’s built slowly - over coffee, connection, and showing up day after day.

Whether you’re building a business or dreaming of starting one, Fête is proof that small beginnings - the kind that fit into three hours a week - can still lead somewhere extraordinary.

Loved this piece? Enjoy more inspiring founder stories right here.