This Working Life: ‘I still clean the toilets – I’ll never ask staff to do something I wouldn’t do’

Karl Purdy, founder and MD of Coffeeangel, chats to Mary McCarthy about his start in business, overcoming his homesickness after a move to Canada as a child, and how he has managed to strike the right work-life balance

Karl Purdy, owner of Coffeeangel. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Mary McCarthy

Coffeeangel’s first day of business was 20 years ago on a beautiful St Patrick’s Day from a van in Howth, with queues out the door.

It was just me at the end of the pier in 2004 and it felt like I could do some good for those pushing the prams.