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

James Shapland, co-founder and former Managing Director, worked with his father on establishing Coffee#1 in 2000. Seed capital was provided by David Jones, co-founder and non-executive Chairman.

Coffee#1 opened its first coffee shop in 2001 on Wood Street, Cardiff.[3] By 2011 the company had 15 outlets across South Wales and South West England[4] and had twice won the Cafe Society's Coffee Bar Chain of the Year award.[5]

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 successful pub business. The move was seen as a symptom of the tough trading conditions in the beer market.[4] Brains had previously had Costa Coffee outlets in several of its pubs.[5] In 2013 another nine outlets were added and in 2014 sales grew by 55%.[6] In April 2015 the company opened their 50th outlet, in Fareham, Hampshire, giving them a total workforce of 380.[7] 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.[3]

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.[8]

References
  1. "Coffee #1 | Terms and Conditions". www.coffee1.co.uk.
  2. "Coffee #1 | Coffee#1 Opens its Landmark 100th Coffee House". www.coffee1.co.uk.
  3. Chris Kelsey (26 November 2015). "Coffee #1 to open 15 new shops across Wales and England as part of £85m package". Wales Online. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  4. "Brains brewery plans to open 30 Coffee #1 shops". BBC News. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  5. Chris Kelsey (4 October 2011). "SA Brains buys Coffee#1 chain". Wales Online. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  6. "Brains brewery Coffee #1 shops sales rise 55%". BBC News. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  7. Sion Barry (25 March 2015). "Coffee#1 is star performer in strong financial results from SA Brain & Co". Wales Online. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  8. Morris, Josh (30 January 2019). "SA Brain sells majority stake in Coffee #1". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
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