3 Faces of Coffee Franchising

Research into the UK coffee market suggests it’s still full of beans and remains ripe for franchise investors considering becoming part of Britain’s coffee shop culture.

Valued at £9.6 billion, the market grew by 7.3 per cent during 2017, making it one of the UK’s strongest performing sectors, according to the ProjectCafé2018 UK report compiled by Allegra World Coffee Portal.

Allegra anticipates the total UK coffee shop market will exceed 31,400 outlets, with a turnover of £13 billion, by 2022.

A study by syrup maker MONIN has revealed caffeine loving Brits consume 1,460 cups of coffee a year, spending £676 on average.

Coffee franchise opportunities range from mobile operations to multi-unit high street retail outlets.

All offer a proven brand and operating system, comprehensive training, ongoing support and expert marketing assistance.

Below are some of the people already making a name for themselves in this vibrant and fast growing sector:

Nathan Lowry, CEO of easyCoffee

Serial entrepreneur Nathan Lowry has successfully run the easyCoffee operation since its launch in 2016, identifying and pursuing commercial partnerships for the brand and using his leadership skills and experience to oversee the efficient running of all aspects of the business.

Nathan was recently recognised by industry leaders as one of the ‘Most Powerful People in Hospitality’ and as one of the ‘50 Who Matter’.

He’s also responsible for founding Pall Mall Fine Wines, now operating out of the London West End.

Nathan says: “We’ve genuinely got coffee in our blood. Join the easy revolution!”

Dean Widge, franchise owner of Esquires Coffee Yate

After qualifying as a chartered management accountant and becoming a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in 1992, Dean worked in a corporate environment for 30 years before deciding he needed a change. 

After trying a few part-time business ideas, he learnt where his real strengths and weaknesses were and with the support of his family decided to invest in a Coffee business. 

Following extensive research, Dean decided to invest in an Esquires Coffee franchise, as its ethical approach, local engagement and quality of the product fitted perfectly with his own ambitions and beliefs.

Kevin Haswell, founder of Really Awesome Coffee

With a number of years of franchising experience under his belt, Kevin Haswell founded Really Awesome Coffee in 2010.
 
Seeing the rapid growth in the coffee shop sector and noting how much time he spent in coffee shops, he decided to avoid competition on the high street by developing a mobile café that enabled him to take the coffee shop to the customer, instead of waiting for the customers to come to him.

With a continuing passion for great tasting coffee, Kevin and his team now support a growing network of over 30 Really Awesome Coffee mobile cafés trading across the UK and have big plans for the coming years.