New Franchise Introducing...
…Global organic and Fairtrade coffee franchise, Esquires Coffee. Managing director and co-founder of the brand, Doug Williamson, explains his vision for growing the brand in the UK
provide ongoing training and education. We meet every six to eight weeks to review KPIs and perform health checks on the business. We help with quality control and have programmes in place to ensure that our stores never lose sight of the important aspects of their business. We also supply sales and marketing training and develop, launch and manage all aspects of marketing and promotion. Finally, we manage all supply relations and new product development price negotiations.
Who is the ideal franchisee?
Esquires Coff ee was founded in Canada in 1993. How has the company grown from there? Esquires Coffee was founded as a community-based concept. The coffee house had just started to catch on and we took the opportunity to bring that model to areas outside of the city centre. This meant we had to shape our offering to fi t the needs and demands of suburban customers. We made service a priority and focussed on the community and development of deeper relationships with our customers. I like to believe we were the trailblazers in the suburban coffee house market. We had the vision of making Esquires
Coffee the hub of the communities in which it serves, with each Esquires franchisee invested in making their coffee house a special place for people to meet, work, socialise and unwind with great service, great coffee and great food. The products and designs have evolved but at the end of the day the coffee house is still very much a social hub. The challenge has been to retain our core standards and beliefs as we expand into other countries and as the brand has evolved into an urban brand as well. We currently have stores in Canada, New Zealand, China, the Middle East, UK and Ireland. With new territories being signed up on a regular basis it is a very exciting time for Esquires Coffee!
The coff ee industry is competitive. How does Esquires stand out? Our biggest point of distinction lies in our
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franchise-driven model. I’ve competed successfully against many ‘Goliaths’ across the globe and a corporate management structure simply cannot replicate the commitment a franchisee brings to the success of their business. I think we have a deep and sensible understanding of what folks are looking for in a café environment and we
incorporate this into both our offering and store designs. Our stores provide a cosy environment, packed with comfy seating, loads of power receptacles and super- fast Wi-Fi. We want to create a space where people can come to hang out, work, collaborate and socialise. We take advantage of all of the benefi ts of being a chain while adopting an independent spirit and approach to the design and offering in each location.
What do franchisees get in return for their investment? Franchisees receive a level of security, insurance and support they would simply never receive if they were to try and open their own business. We help franchisees locate and select far more suitable and viable locations than they could fi nd on their own. We then use our experience and expertise to negotiate leases and are typically able to negotiate strong contributions from landlords. Once we unanimously agree on a location, we manage the entire store set-up including fi t-out, planning permissions, set-up and training for the franchisee and their staff. In addition to initial training, we also
The ideal Esquires Coffee franchisee is someone with strong business acumen who really understands that their success is dependent on their service to others. They typically have strong roots in the community they wish to trade in and are passionate about both coffee and business. They are self-driven, goal- oriented and have great attitudes.
Personality is extremely important; if you are not a people person you can’t expect to succeed in a people business. We can teach you everything else.
Why do you think the UK is a good place for Esquires to expand? I think the way people socialise, study and work today has everything to do with the growth in the coffee house sector, especially in the UK. Technology is awesome but it has an ugly underside in that it tends to devoid us of the opportunity to develop deep and meaningful relationships. We don’t see our friends and family enough, we’re overworked or work in silos and miss the collaborative aspects of life that technology has stripped away. The coffee house provides a one- stop shop for our social commerce. We can catch up with friends and family, collaborate study, work in relative peace or just hang out around other people. That’s really powerful stuff and the coffee houses that offer the right environment and great products and service will fl ourish. n
ESQUIRES COFFEE
WEBSITE:
www.esquirescoffee.co.uk EMAIL:
franchise@esquirescoffee.co.uk CLASSIFICATION: Café
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