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Columbus Coffee - New Cafe Brings In Business
by Columbus Coffee, last updated on 12th November 2010
Columbus Coffee provides focal point for rural retail zone
When Ashburton businessman and entrepreneur Alister Lilley was redeveloping his new bulk appliance store complex, he decided to include a café to provide a focal point for the area. ‘The large-format retail zone is located away from the high street so it was important to provide somewhere for shoppers to relax,’ he explains.
Alister was chairman of the Retravision NZ group at the time and in the course of his travels had noticed Columbus Coffee in several places. ‘It’s a brand that makes a big impact,’ he says. ‘The bright yellow decor and friendly interior draw people in and the quality is always excellent. Thinking about my own plans, I began to talk to the franchisees in the cafés I visited and then approached Columbus’s MD Graeme Tait. I knew nothing about the hospitality business but it became clear to me that the Columbus formula was very “user-friendly” from every aspect.’
It is also a very successful one. The first Columbus Coffee outlet opened in Auckland in 1995, and has grown steadily to 27 cafés throughout New Zealand. Last year the company entered the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards for the first time and was rewarded with the coveted title of Supreme Franchise System of the Year for 2009/2010.
When Alister started investigating, Columbus Coffee had only two cafés in the South Island but that didn’t deter them – far from it. ‘The Columbus team was just as keen as us and were very understanding and helpful from the word go – their “assistance template” is fantastic! I think some franchises would have been very happy to take our money and forget about us, but every six weeks someone from the support office comes down and actually works in the business with us to help find improvements. We may be remote but we very much feel part of the Columbus family.’ And the franchise has found a warm welcome locally – within nine months of opening in November 2008, Columbus Coffee Ashburton was named the region’s Top Café.
Alister is convinced that the format is very replicable in similar-sized rural towns. ‘There are a lot of opportunities outside the main centres, and we’ve proved it works – in fact, we’ve had to expand the café area to meet demand.’
‘Columbus Coffee has always been a place where regular customers come to meet friends or colleagues,’ explains Graeme Tait. ‘That’s why it has proved such a good fit in Ashburton – and why it’s been a valuable addition to the retail zone. The investment required is between $300,000 and $400,000 and opportunities are available nationwide, so wherever you are – and whatever your background – if you’d like to be part of our growth, give us a call.’
This advertorial is taken from Franchise New Zealand magazine Volume 19 Issue 1
Contact details for Columbus Coffee
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