Scott Treasaden, brand operations manager at Coffee Planet, gives us the inside track on the company’s franchise offering.
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How does Coffee Planet see itself positioned in the wider international coffee shop landscape?
At Coffee Planet, we’re looking to become the U.K.’s first branded high street chain of specialty coffee shops – ‘specialty’ being the name given to premium grade, 100 per cent arabica coffee by the Specialty Coffee Association. This is coffee that scores over 80 points out of 100 when graded by coffee professionals.
As consumers demand more in terms of taste, depth, and complexity, we source our coffee from only the world’s best farmers in approximately 20 countries – delivering perfect moments of enjoyment from every cup.
Specialty arabica coffee is the growth segment in the global coffee industry and we combine our modern approach to roasting with the heritage of 500 years’ worth of coffee expertise on the Arabian peninsula – our home in the United Arab Emirates. We aim to bring our finest global arabica coffee to everyone, roasted and delivered perfectly every time.
How has your business developed since inception?
Coffee Planet began life in 2005, delivering freshly ground coffee and fresh milk vending solutions to the two major blue-chip oil company convenience stores across the U.A.E. – some 250-plus locations still to this day.
Over time, we developed complete coffee services to leading five-star hotels, catering companies, restaurants, cafes, airlines, and offices. In addition, we have developed online and in-store retail lines across territories.
We have grown our market presence and now trade in excess of 20 countries – with yet more to come. Café franchising has seen our business grow in the U.K. and in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad in Pakistan. In the U.A.E., we are targeting 40 new stores in the coming years, with both Egypt and Saudi Arabia set to open the first stores of many, in each territory, later in 2021.
What kind of new partner are you looking to attract?
Fundamentally, we’re looking to partner with individuals who share our vision and passion for great coffee and next-level customer service.
While experience in food and beverage is not mandatory, we’re looking for operators with acute business acumen and an ability to see the potential in commercial opportunities across our trading formats of café, smartpod, kiosk and cart.
We offer a complete turnkey solution, with an investment range of £50,000-£250,000, dependent on size and location. Our support levels range from location approval, store design, menu engineering, promotion planning, and cost and margin analysis to marketing, social media, business development, and full barista and café staff training.
What can a new partner expect from their Coffee Planet business?
Arguably, a fun way to be your own boss and make money along the way.
Our models are geared to return initial investments quickly and with our guidance and business development advice, many ways to tempt customers on a daily basis with hot and cold beverages and indulgent sweet and savory food options.
We have established global partnerships in supply chain logistics, enabling competitive rates for equipment and services, and have access to third-party finance and commercial lettings agencies.
As consumers demand more in terms of taste, depth, and complexity, we source our coffee from only the world’s best farmers in approximately 20 countries”
Our U.K. team is on hand to offer assistance, training, and brand auditing, ensuring your team is always delivering the very best in food and beverage service and ensuring the customer journey is best in class.
What should interested parties do next?
If potential new partners are attending the regional franchise shows, come and talk to our team at the Coffee Planet stand and sample a cup of our finest 100 percent arabica specialty coffee – that would be a good start!
We will explain our different commercial agreements, either a regional master franchise partnership, allowing territorial exclusivity to trade the brand and the ability to sub-franchise, or single-site licenses, allowing investors to build their business from a modest base, choosing to expand their interests over time, should they so wish.
Fresh for 2021’s exhibitions, we have partnered with Smart Modular Group Ltd, to showcase our latest franchise solution – the Smartpod. A complete business-in-a-box, these affordable, prefabricated units are fully self-contained, with integrated power and drainage solutions – and are mobile enough to be moved from location to location. Come visit the team at the show and discover our range of sizes: 3x3m takeaway, 4x5m dine-in, and 8x4m drive-thru options are available.
Whichever route to market blossoms from our discussions, rest assured our team of dedicated coffee professionals will be on hand all the way to help develop another chapter and partner in our growing success story.
AT A GLANCE COFFEE PLANET
Established: 2005
Number of franchised outlets: 19
Location of units: 1 in the UAE, with 5 in the planning stage, 11 in Pakistan, 2 in the U.K. – Cardiff and Tuxford, Nottinghamshire; others in development in KSA and Egypt
Investment range: £50,000 – £250,000
Minimum required capital: £50,000
Contact: Scott Treasaden, brand operations manager
