Coffee Republic, opened it’s latest bar in Hounslow, West
London, 3 weeks ago. They are also opening sites in the new
Northampton Railway Station, and in Chatham, Kent and Whitechapel,
East London, later this summer, as well as “a pipeline of numerous
others” predominantly in and around London and the South East, as
part of its target to open 20 sites annually under its franchise
agreement while also growing its overseas presence, adding in the
UK to it’s 4 company owned bars, and 16 franchised
bars.
Richard Shakespeare, Head of Franchise Sales at Coffee
Republic, responsible for all UK, International & Corporate,
reports that the company is developing and growing the brand
successfully since the re-launch of the franchise in June last
year.
“This is the biggest period of growth since the new owners
took over in 2009, both within the franchise model and supporting
our company owned bars. There are 10 franchisees waiting to open
Coffee Republic bars, as soon as suitable locations can be secured,
mostly on a multi-store deal. “ He went onto say ‘’The delay in
opening sites is down to find the right location; working closely
with Danny Coole our Head of UK & International Operations and his
team, we regularly turn down many sites that come to us as
unsuitable.” Danny Coole and his team have been working very hard
for the last 15 months alongside the franchise to put in place
process to ensure the growth can be sustained and long term. With
the international development schedule being closely managed it
adds a different dimension and pressure but means Danny and the
team are well travelled.
Coffee Republic looks for premium location sites, seeking
corner aspects as a preference, of 100 – 110 square metres, on busy
High Street Locations with high foot traffic throughout the day.
Richard said locations close to amenities such as offices,
hospitals,& universities are preferable to draw customers
throughout the day, creating the flow of customers desired for a
successful operation
The company is also growing its overseas estate having signed
Master Franchise Agreements in Qatar, Oman, Jordan, South Africa,
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Pakistan.
Coffee Republic is due to open in Qatar next month under a
Master Franchise Agreement signed in January that will see a
minimum of five sites open over the next five years. A similar deal
is in place in Oman, where the first site is due to open next
January.
Meanwhile, Coffee Republic at Lanzarote Airport, opened this
week, on Monday 28th July. The airport has over 2.2 million
passengers a year, and with the bar being located airside offers a
great opportunity to expose the brand to the many British who
travel there. The franchise, operated by a major food and beverage
operator based in Barcelona, who either own or manage hundreds of
brands all over Spain, means a long term collaboration with Coffee
Republic offers a real opportunity to grow the brand in Spain with
new opportunities, moving forwards. Coffee Republic at Lithuania’s
Vilnius International Airport, operated by another new
International Franchise partner, opens at the end of August.
