Cafes and Coffee Shops

The latest news and updates on cafes and coffee shops, from the business journalists at Catering Today. We bring you the latest on what’s happening in the restaurants, bars and catering industry, with exclusive stories, analysis, best practice and industry comment.

Sep- 2025 -

12 September

Double Puc secures funding to expand café and catering business

Independent café operator Double Puc has received six-figure backing from the South West Investment Fund to support the expansion of its catering arm. The Bristol-based business, founded in 2021 by Ed Brown and Griff Holland, said the funding would allow it to increase capacity and meet rising demand from corporate…
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9 September

Cornish Bakery sales jump 24% in record summer

Cornish Bakery has reported record trading over the summer, with total sales up 24% year-on-year and like-for-like sales rising 8% in August. The independent chain said it had its biggest ever week of sales during the August bank holiday, with several branches also setting new individual records. The figures contrast…
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9 September

Pret to trial new meal deal format amid strong FY24 sales

Pret A Manger has announced its plans to trial new meal deal formats later this year to capture demand for value-led food-to-go, as the company set out a new medium-term strategy to accelerate growth in its home market and internationally. The news comes after Pret reported sales of £1.2bn for…
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8 September

Chocoberry to open Milton Keynes café as part of UK expansion

Chocoberry will open a new dessert café in Milton Keynes as part of its latest wave of UK expansion. The chain, which currently operates 18 cafés across the country, said the site will be among three new openings scheduled in the next three months, with locations also planned in Walsall…
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3 September

Asda owner TDR Capital mulls bid for Costa Coffee

Asda owner TDR Capital is among the investment groups considering an acquisition of Costa Coffee as owner Coca-Cola explores a potential sale, according to the Financial Times. Coca-Cola has hired Lazard to advise on options for the UK’s largest coffee chain, which it bought from Whitbread in 2019 for £3.9bn. …
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Aug- 2025 -

28 August

Apollo holds talks with advisors over Costa sale

Investment group Apollo Global Management has reportedly held early-stage talks with advisers to Coca-Cola as it explores a sale of Costa, according to Sky News. The private equity vehicle, which owns Wagamama’s parent company, The Restaurant Group, is said to be part of a small number of suitors that have…
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26 August

Coca-Cola mulls Costa Coffee sale

Coca-Cola is working with bankers to hold exploratory talks over the sale of Costa Coffee more than six years after acquiring it, according to reports from Sky News. Investment bank Lazard is understood to have been engaged by Coca-Cola and initial talks have already been held with a small number…
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15 August

Finsbury Food acquires majority stake in Lola’s Cupcakes

Finsbury Food Group has confirmed it has acquired a 70% majority stake in Lola’s Cupcakes, marking its entry into the direct-to-consumer market. According to Sky News, the deal could value the cupcake chain at more than £25m. The cupcake business trades from a network of 45 kiosks and collection lockers…
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13 August

Wenzel’s signs first-ever franchise partnership

Wenzel’s has signed its first-ever franchise partnership following a new deal with Southern Co-op, in a move that will see it expand its customer base into new regions across the country. It comes as the independent family-run bakery, which is led by founder Peter Wenzel and his daughter Sarah as…
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8 August

Harris and Hoole summer sales rise 14.7%

Speciality coffee chain Harris and Hoole has reported a 14.7% increase in like-for-like sales for the 13 weeks from May to July. Gross sales jumped by 11% to £2.1m during the period, up from £1.9 million in the previous quarter. The company attributed the growth to strong demand for its…
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