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.

Jun- 2022 -

27 June

Creams Cafe to open at Manchester Arndale

Dessert restaurant brand, Creams Cafe, will be opening at Manchester Arndale later this year with a new 2,325 square feet store at the centre. The store, which has been let on a 15-year lease, will offer the full Creams Cafe experience with the brand’s menu of desserts for dine-in, takeaway…
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27 June

Patisserie Valerie settles £200m claim with Grant Thornton

The administrators of Patisserie Valerie have reportedly settled a £200m lawsuit with Grant Thornton after allegations of negligence arose in its audits of the café chain, which collapsed after a suspected fraud. According to the Financial Times, FRP Advisory, which is liquidating the failed group, sued Grant Thornton in 2020.…
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24 June

Pret sales rise as offices fill up

Pret A Manger’s sales of coffee and sandwiches were 88% of pre-Covid-19 levels through last Thursday (16 June) in London City and Canary Wharf, according to the latest figures tracked by Bloomberg’s Pret Index. Bloomberg said this a sign that the lunch hour is almost completely back to normal in…
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14 June

Pret a Manger to debut in Spain and Portugal

Pret A Manger has reached an agreement with the Ibersol Group to launch the Pret brand and products across Spain and Portugal. Under the terms of the agreement, Ibersol Group will bring Pret’s food and organic coffee to the two countries. The agreement comes as Pret steps up its global…
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May- 2022 -

31 May

Tim Hortons opens new Manchester site

Canadian restaurant brand Tim Hortons has opened its doors at The Arndale, Manchester. The restaurant, located on Market Street, will serve coffee, freshly baked donuts and hot meals from 6am until midnight and is open seven days a week. The brand celebrated the opening of its first city centre restaurant…
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30 May

Platinum Jubilee weekend to bring £1.2bn economic boost

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is estimated to bring a £1.2bn boost to the economy as 5.3 million Brits are planning an overnight holiday break in the UK during the extended bank holiday weekend. According to a VisitEngland survey, well over a third of Brits (19 million) are planning to take…
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26 May

Starbucks to exit Russia

Starbucks has announced it will exit Russia and no longer have a brand presence in the Russian market, following the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The company said it will continue to support the nearly 2,000 green apron partners it has in Russia. This includes paying staff for the next six…
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24 May

Jamaica Blue launches first Northern Irish store

Jamaica Blue has opened its first casual dining coffee shop in Ireland at the Forestside shopping centre, Belfast, as part of the coffee chain’s UK wide expansion. The new site has seen the business invest £350,000 in fit out costs, and it will employ up to 15 people as part…
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19 May

Tropea closes cafe amid refurb

Italian restaurant Tropea, located in Harborne, has announced that it is closing its cafe as the site is undergoing a refurbishment to allow more focus on the restaurant menu, with plans in place for a lunch offering. The changes are set to be complete by the summer, and the restaurant…
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18 May

Gaming cafe Geek Retreat to open in Cwmbran Centre

Geek Retreat, a cafe and gaming shop with franchises around the UK, has agreed a lease to open a new branch in Cwmbran Centre in Wales. It has agreed a 10-year lease for 15 North Walk. Owner and director Nathan Dummett said as well as a food and drink offer,…
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