Independent coffee shop chain Bob & Berts has opened its first Belfast city centre store in an investment worth £200,000. The 3,000 square foot store based on Fountain Street will create 35 new jobs.
Bob & Berts was founded in Portstewart in 2013 by Colin McClean and has 16 coffee shops across Northern Ireland in locations including Coleraine, Portstewart, Stranmillis, Lisburn, Omagh and Dungannon.
The business plans to open a further 30 sites as part of a growth strategy supported by BGF, a long-term investor into growing business in Northern Ireland. The new store is the second to open post investment, following the launch of Bob & Berts in Portadown in November last year.
McClean commented, “Since we started the business, it was always a dream to have a store in the city centre next to big name retailers. We currently have two stores in Belfast and won 'Coffee Shop of the Year 2018' for our Lisburn Road Store. Our new store is located opposite Belfast City Hall, in an area of high footfall and good brand visibility. We’ll be able to seat over 100 customers with outside seating for 30. The location is the perfect spot to attract office workers, families who are out shopping and tourists.
“Our branding, food selection and interior design sets us apart from our competition and we believe that we have created an environment which encourages people to relax. We’re hoping to open a second store in the Belfast area before the end of the year and we’re actively looking at several locations. We’ve set ourselves aggressive growth targets for the coming years with the aim of opening eight new stores this year and looking to grow the business to over 30 stores.”
Bob & Berts is also set to open its first store in Scotland this summer.
© 2018 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
