BB’s Coffee & Muffins plans to double in size in the next five years as it opens sites in the UK and Ireland including a new masculine-look concept in Dublin.
The business, which was bought by private equity company Brentwood Investments in March for a rumoured sum of £7.1m, is to open its 48th site in Maidstone in November.
In six weeks’ time a new “masculine” concept named BB’s Coffee & Co will launch on the high street in Dublin. Andrew Moyes, group chief executive, said this will feature “a more masculine look for the boys”. He said: ”[This is] just to see if it might give us another channel to go down rather than shopping centres.” BB’s traditionally focuses on shopping centres for openings.
“[The plan] is to more or less double the size of the business in five years to have between 80 and 100 in that time. It is more about getting the right sites than numbers.
“Everything is on track. We are looking at three potential sites in Ireland and another bunch in England. We will hopefully get another in before Christmas and have a number in March-ish.
New-look sites with softer colours and more banquet seating opened in King’s Lynn and Edmonton in August and a 2,000sq ft site in Maidstone will open in two months – a larger site than the 1,500sq ft average.
BB’s is also rolling out a major refurbishment programme, which has been in effect for around two years. Around 35 stores have already been updated with a £75,000 spend on each.
The company also runs a franchise arm with around 50% in the UK company-run and the other half franchised compared to just 5% of Irish sites which are franchises.
Moyes said: “We will expand our existing franchisees so we aren’t looking to take new ones on. There is more emphasis on company stores because we can go countrywide.”
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