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.

Aug- 2020 -

28 August

Pret a Manger to cut 2,800 jobs

Pret a Manger has confirmed it is to cut 2,800 high street jobs as part of a restructuring following almost two months of consultations with team members. The high street chain said that although sales and footfall have started to show “clear signs of recovery”, Pret sales over the last…
Read More »
25 August

UK ‘rallies’ behind coffee shops after lockdown

Visiting a café or coffee shop was the most popular outing made by UK consumers since lockdown was eased on 4 July 2020, according to Allegra World Coffee Portal’s latest survey. According to its survey of more than 3,000 UK consumers, 55% of respondents said they had visited a café…
Read More »
5 August

CMA clears Amazon’s Deliveroo investment

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has approved Amazon’s 16% investment in Deliveroo, after finding that it will not “substantially lessen competition”. Under the deal, Amazon will acquire 16% of Deliveroo as the lead investor in a $575m (£438m) funding, which was first announced last year. At that point the…
Read More »
Jul- 2020 -

29 July

Starbucks sales slump amid Covid-19

Starbucks has announced that global comparable store sales plummeted 40% in the quarter ended 28 June, driven by a 51% decrease in comparable transactions, though partially offset by a 23% increase in the average ticket. Consolidated net revenues slumped by 38% to $4.2bn (£3.24bn) against the prior year, primarily due…
Read More »
27 July

Creams welcomes ‘record’ sales

Creams has welcomed a “strong performance” in the full-year ended 31 March 2020, with group sales up by 3% year-on-year to £43.4m. The dessert chain welcomed the results against the backdrop of a “challenging” period in the casual dining market in light of the “severe” impact of Covid. In its…
Read More »
10 July

Cereal Killer Cafè closes two London sites

The founders of the Cereal Killer Cafè have announced the permanent closure of two of their London sites, attributing the coronavirus lockdown and industry uncertainty to the decision. In a statement posted on Facebook, brothers Alan and Gary Keery said they would be saying “Cheerio” to their cafes, “for now”,…
Read More »
Jun- 2020 -

30 June

Caffè Nero to reopen 400 stores to eat in from 4 July

Caffè Nero has announced it will reopen 400 stores for eat-in from the 4 July. The stores will open with protocols in place to ensure its employees and customers remain safe and in accordance with government advice and social distancing guidance. The stores will offer Caffè Nero’s coffee and other…
Read More »
25 June

Pret a Manger to pay just 30% of rent payments next quarter

Pret a Manger will pay only 30% of its rent over the next quarter after it warned it does not have “sufficient funds” to pay the bill in full. In a letter to landlords seen by the Evening Standard, chief executive Pano Christou warned landlords that the chain was in…
Read More »
18 June

Costa to reopen 1,100 sites by July

Costa Coffee has announced that at least 1,100 of its stores will reopen across the UK by the end of June. The group said the move marks a “huge milestone” in the brand’s reopening plans, with more locations becoming available for takeaway or drive-thrus. Heightened safety measures will be implemented…
Read More »
15 June

Caffe Concerto to reopen select stores in shopping centre

Caffe Concerto will reopen stores inside Westfield shopping centres and Brimingham’s Bullring from today (15 June). Jacinta Rowsell, general manager of the 2.6 million square foot Westfield sites, said the company has ensured social distancing measures and other precautions are in place to keep shoppers and the 20,000-strong workforce safe.…
Read More »