Cafes and Coffee Shops

The Cafes and Coffee Shops section on Catering Today explores the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the UK’s vibrant café and coffee sector. Covering independent operators, branded chains, and suppliers, it reports on store openings, menu innovation, sustainability initiatives, and shifts in consumer behaviour. With insights into operations, staffing, and technology, Catering Today provides hospitality professionals with up-to-date intelligence on the business strategies and market forces driving success in coffee-led hospitality.

Mar- 2024 -

28 March

Cooks Coffee appoints new CEO

Cooks Coffee Company, the international coffee focused café chain which includes the brand Esquires Coffee, has announced that Aiden Keegan has been appointed as the new chief executive officer, effective from 1 April 2024. Keegan commenced his role as operations manager at Esquires in Ireland (ECHI) in January 2004. Before…
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25 March

Gail’s owner in talks over potential sale

Gail’s owner, Bread Holdings, is reportedly readying to appoint advisers for a sale of the bakery and coffee chain for more than £200m, according to Sky News. It is understood that Bain Capital Credit and EBITDA Investments, a fund backed by restaurant investor Henry McGovern, are planning to appoint bankers…
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6 March

The Gentlemen Baristas bought out of administration

Coffee shop chain The Gentlemen Baristas has been bought out of administration and sold for £785,000. The chain previously called in an administrator from Parker Getty Limited back in January, after being “adversely affected” by higher costs of materials as well as the costs of sales and staff. According to…
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5 March

Cornish Bakery’s Southwold site closes for refurb

Cornish Bakery has temporarily closed its Southwold location on Sunday 3 March to complete refurbishment works. The bakery is expected to reopen on Friday 15 March and reveal a new interior and exterior. Located on the corner of High Street and Victoria Street for the past six years, the site…
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4 March

Coffee#1 H1 sales rise 18.8% to £29.6m

Coffee shop brand Coffee#1 has revealed that sales rose 18.8% to £29.6m during the first half of the financial year from June 2023 to November 2023. The group’s like-for-likes sales performance for the same period also remained robust at 8%, underpinned by sustained customer growth of 1.2%. During H1, the…
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Feb- 2024 -

28 February

BP pilots made-to-order food at 10 Wild Bean Cafes

BP will be piloting a “new and improved” ‘fresh food for now’ offer that customers can personalise at 10 of its Wild Bean Cafes across the UK. The news comes as BP looks for new ways to drive convenience growth by giving “on-the-move” customers made-to-order, hot food options and coffee. …
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16 February

Costa Coffee to boost pay in April

Costa Coffee has announced that from 1 April 2024 it will increase pay rates for over 15,000 team members in its 1,500 UK company-owned stores. This is the fifth time the company has increased pay rates for store team members since April 2021. As part of an investment of over…
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13 February

Caffè Nero H1 sales rise 17% to £265m

The Caffè Nero Group has today (13 February) announced “strong trading” for the first half of 2024, including sales growth of 17% over the same period last year. At group level, the business revealed sales for H1 2024 of £265m, an increase of 10% in like for like sales. In…
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Jan- 2024 -

31 January

Caffè Nero to open first drive thru store at Stansted Airport

Coffee house brand Caffè Nero has today (31 January) announced it will open its first drive thru store in the world at Stansted Airport this Spring. The drive thru store will be located 500 yards from the main terminal building on the main road into and out of the airport.…
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26 January

Senior team at Paddy and Scott’s complete MBO

Paddy and Scott’s Coffee CEO Jonathan Reed and operations director Zoe Hill have completed a management buy-out (MBO) of the Suffolk-based coffee wholesaler and cafe operator. The company has experienced 28% year-on-year growth and “significant” progress in delivering positive social impact in coffee-growing regions around the world. Established in 2007…
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