While Lisa Jones sat at her desk working in admin for nine years at a landfill site she dreamt of opening her own cafe bar.
Eight years ago she took the plunge into business - opening the Village Deli sandwich bar in Old Colwyn.
While others had failed to make the unit in the village a success she was determined to make it work.
The gamble paid off for the 37-year-old who has now made her next move – taking on the next door site to add a cafe bar to her shop.
Now branded the Village Hub and Deli she is working hard to make this latest venture a hit.
She said: “I always dreamed of this and was thinking about it while working in admin.
“I was always a bit scared though because starting a business is a hell of a responsibility, and even now after a few years it can be a struggle.
“The site had been a few different sandwich shops in the six years before I took it on and some people thought it was a bad idea, saying ‘it’s Old Colwyn, you haven’t got the footfall’.
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“But I am one of them that says ‘I will make it work’ and it has.”
She bought the unit next door last summer and set to work on the site - knocking through from the sandwich shop. It opened towards the end of last year and while it is a small space - with a compact dining space and snug - she has big plans.
These include evening dinners with small plates and more traditional meals cooked by young chef D’Argo, band nights, speed dating and afternoon teas.
She said: “It is a good spot, right on the corner.
“Is has cost me and we have to make that back but I think I’m bringing something new to the village, there aren’t many places apart from pubs to eat out.
"It hasn’t been the ideal time to open but people have been interested.”
They had their first evening service recently - combining it with her own band practice - with her singing and serving customers.
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Lisa, who supports other local businesses like zero waste grocery store 2050 and Poyntons butchers, said: “We will be open Friday and Saturday nights with our great young chef in who combines the job with training at Coleg Llandrillo.
“Come the spring and summer we really hope the place will be rammed - we hope to put tables and chairs outside as well.”