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.

Dec- 2019 -

4 December

Loungers eyes expansion plans as revenues jump 22%

Loungers has announced it is planning to increase its portfolio by 25 properties every year to around 500 sites, after it reported a 22% jump in revenues for the 24-week period ending 6 October 2019. The company, which operates 161 café/bar/restaurants across England and Wales under two Lounge (133 sites)…
Read More »
Nov- 2019 -

21 November

Costa Coffee appoints Jill McDonald as CEO

Costa Coffee has appointed Jill McDonald as CEO, after revealing Dominic Paul will step down on 30 November. McDonald will start her new role from 2 December. She started her career as a graduate trainee at Colgate-Palmolive in 1987 and has held three positions in McDonald’s Corp from 2006 to…
Read More »
19 November

Tim Hortons announces opening date for Leicester branch

Canadian cafe and bakery chain, Tim Hortons, has announced it will be opening the door to to its biggest restaurant to date, in Leicester, on 28 November. Situated on East Gates, the restaurant will span over three floors to enjoy “Canada’s favourite coffee.” To celebrate the opening the first 100…
Read More »
Oct- 2019 -

24 October

% Arabica to make UK debut with double store openings in London

Lifestyle-orientated Japanese coffee brand % Arabica is to make its UK debut with two London outposts officially opening on 1 November 2019. The brand will open its flagship store in Broadway Market, East London, and Covent Garden will see its sister site situated on King Street, the latter of which…
Read More »
10 October

Pret A Manger turnover hits £710m in 2018

Sandwich shop chain Pret A Manger saw turnover increase to £710m for its UK business in 2018. The group said its UK business has a “good performance” despite the “challenging market of political uncertainty”, and significant increases in business rates. However, according to reports filed with Companies House the sandwich…
Read More »
Sep- 2019 -

18 September

Eat raises £35,193 through partnership with StreetGames

Sandwich shop chain Eat has announced that its summer campaign in partnership with ‘Fit and Fed’, a holiday programme led by the StreetGames charity, raised a grand total of £35,193.61. The campaign, which ran from 19 June until 3 September, highlighted the importance of providing real food to real people,…
Read More »
18 September

Costa Coffee launches first ‘commuter-focused’ store

Costa Coffee has opened its first ‘commuter-focused’ store concept in London. The debut site within Lewisham Station occupies 400 sq. ft. of space formerly used as the station manager’s office. According to the group, the new takeaway only concept designed “to suit the needs of the busy commuter”, and added…
Read More »
12 September

Paul UK saves food from landfill with ‘Too Good To Go partnership’

French bakery and pâtisserie Paul has announced today that it has extended its partnership with food waste fighting app Too Good To Go, to prevent food from all its UK cafés and bakeries going to landfill. The extended partnership will see all 37 Paul shops using the app to offer…
Read More »
6 September

‘Natasha’s law’ enacted in parliament

‘Natasha’s Law’ was enacted yesterday (5 September), which will require businesses to include full ingredients labelling on direct sale foods, and will go into force in October 2021. Following the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, the teenager who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette, the…
Read More »
Aug- 2019 -

28 August

Paul UK partners with Feed It Back

French bakery and café brand Paul UK, has partnered with customer feedback and online reputation specialist, Feed It Back, to help support and develop customer experience as the brand continues to expand its estate. According to the group, the partnership represents Feed It Back’s “continued focus” on supporting café and…
Read More »