Coffee 1

Coffee#1 is a British coffee house chain that originated in Cardiff, Wales in 2000, and since 2019 has been majority owned by Caffè Nero. Coffee#1 has outlets along the M4 corridor, with others in Wales and southern England.

Coffee #1 Ltd.
Limited company
IndustryHospitality
Founded2000
FoundersJames Shapland, co-founder
HeadquartersBristol, England, UK[1]
Number of locations
100 (2019)
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
Bruce Newman, Director[2]
ProductsCoffee, tea, soft drinks
OwnerCaffè Nero
Websitewww.coffee1.co.uk

History

Coffee #1 was co-founded by James Shapland, Anthony Shapland, David Jones and Maryanne Tagney. James Shapland was appointed Managing Director in 2002 and was majority shareholder when the business was sold in 2011.[3][4] Non-executive directors Jones and Tagney, both based in Washington State, USA remained minority shareholders until the sale in 2011. [5]

Coffee#1 opened its first coffee shop in 2001 on Wood Street, Cardiff.[6] Shapland grew the company to become a market leader across South Wales and South West England.[7] The company won the Cafe Society's Coffee Bar Chain of the Year award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and the Beverage Service Association's 'Best UK Coffee Chain' in 2009.[8][9]

The first Coffee#1 in Wood Street, Cardiff, Wales

In the autumn of 2011, Coffee#1 was bought by the Cardiff brewery company SA Brain, who wished to diversify from their pub business. The move was seen as a symptom of the tough trading conditions in the beer market.[7] Brains had previously had Costa Coffee outlets in several of its pubs.[9]

In 2013 another nine outlets were added and in 2014 sales grew by 55%.[10] In April 2015 the company opened their 50th outlet, in Fareham, Hampshire, giving them a total workforce of 380.[11] At the end of 2015 the chain included 57 coffee shops across Wales and parts of southern and central England. The company planned to open another 15 in 2016.[6]

In mid-2018, SA Brain announced that they wished to sell a majority stake in Coffee#1, after a strategic review. In January 2019, Caffè Nero bought a 70% stake in the business, which at that time had 92 outlets.[12]

References

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