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.

Apr- 2021 -

28 April

WatchHouse opens seventh and largest site

WatchHouse has announced that it has opened its seventh and largest site, located in central London at St Mary’s Axe. To celebrate the opening, WatchHouse will offer a complimentary coffee to customers of their choosing on Friday 30 April between 9am and 12pm. The rest of 2021 will see the…
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Mar- 2021 -

26 March

23.5 Degrees opens 80th Starbucks site

Starbucks’ first UK franchised business partner, 23.5 Degrees, has announced it will open its 80th store today, 26 March in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. The opening is part of an “ambitious expansion programme” for 23.5 Degrees, which has a “strong pipeline” of approved stores and plans to reach 300 stores by…
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24 March

200 Degrees Coffee to open new Manchester site

Nottingham-based coffee roasters 200 Degrees Coffee will open its 12th coffee shop in The Hybrid Building, Mosley Street, Manchester on 17 May. The 80-seat shop will be on the ground floor of the new office development, and will create 15 new full time and part time jobs. 200 Degrees was…
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4 March

Gong cha continues growth plans with launch of new Newcastle site

Gong cha, an authentic Taiwanese bubble tea brand has announced plans to open a new site in Haymarket, Newcastle as part of its launch strategy in England. According to Gong cha England, the UK-based operator for the brand, the “city’s large student population and vibrant young professionals’ sector” was one…
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Feb- 2021 -

26 February

Deliveroo partners with Costa Coffee as growth plans for 2021 continue

Deliveroo has announced a new delivery partnership with Costa Coffee, which will see customers able to order goods from the chain via the Deliveroo app. The service will be available across 500 of Costa Coffee’s stores in England, Scotland and Wales and will launch 1 March. It comes as part…
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17 February

Hummingbird Bakery bought out of administration

The Hummingbird Bakery, a London-based bakery chain, has announced that it has been acquired by Acropolis Capital. The American-styled bakery group has been bought through a pre-pack administration process, securing its ongoing operation in Notting Hill, South Kensington, and Spitalfields. Through the acquisition, the group has protected over 60 jobs,…
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15 February

Court files show Grant Thornton’s alleged Patisserie Valerie audit errors

FRP Advisory, the liquidator to Patisserie Valerie, has filed legal documents describing Grant Thornton’s alleged errors in its auditing of the cafe chain. According to the Sunday Times, FRP claims that Grant Thornton’s “negligence” led Patisserie Valerie’s bosses to unknowingly allow the firm to run out of funds after undisclosed…
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9 February

Creams seeks to expand franchise operations

Dessert café brand Creams has announced it is seeking like-minded franchise partners to further roll-out its franchise operation nationwide. Key development areas that have been identified by the group include The Midlands, Yorkshire, North East, North West and Scotland. The “tried and tested” operation, with its own Gelato factory and…
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Jan- 2021 -

4 January

Lord Sugar joins legal battle against Caffe Nero CVA

Lord Sugar has allegedly joined forces with billionaire Issa brothers to rally against Caffe Nero’s CVA rescue deal. According to Sky News, the television star is among seven other parties which are said to have issued a landlord led legal challenge against Caffe Nero with the hopes that it will…
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Dec- 2020 -

22 December

Pistachio Holdings acquires Creams

Pistachio Holdings, a firm backed by Ankush Shah of the East Africa-based Sumaria Group, has acquired a majority stake in the dessert brand, Creams. Creams, which was founded in 2008 by Balal Aqil and Adam Mani, currently employs over 1,400 staff across its 93-strong UK portfolio. As well as his…
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