Ten years ago Cafe2U started life as a humble one-van operation on the North Shore of Sydney: it is now a thriving international operation with more than 155 franchisees in Australia alone.
STAYING RELEVANT
Cafe2U managing director Derek Black says the brand has continued to remain relevant in the market place. “The Australian coffee drinker has changed a lot in the last 10 years and to survive we have had to change our product right alongside them,” he says.
“We have invested a lot into research and development of our equipment and also our coffee offering. We developed our own blends – they have proven extremely popular.
“Ten years ago cappuccinos were the go-to beverage but there is a lot more variation now in consumer tastes, and consequently our menu,” he adds.
Black says the relatively low cost, low risk investment opportunity has helped boost growth of the network. “There is limited competition; you have your own territory, franchise support in growing that territory, and excellent marketing support. It is a low investment franchise model which offers a high return on investment.”
TEN THINGS TO LEARN ABOUT THE SYSTEM
1. Cafe2U was the first mobile coffee franchise system launched in Australia, and took a lead role in creating the mobile coffee industry we see today.
2. The company says more than 98 percent of all its franchisees have achieved or exceeded the level of success they had set for themselves prior to starting their business.
3. The mobile coffee business was listed as one of Australia’s fastest growing franchise systems for four consecutive years, starting at the height of the GFC.
4. Cafe2U serves more than 32,000 espresso coffees every day across seven countries.
5. It was the first mobile coffee franchise system in Australia to achieve the food safe management accreditation HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) .
6. The Cafe2U coffee blend has received multiple Australian and international coffee awards in both the espresso and milk based categories. The business remains as the only mobile based coffee franchise to be recognised in these competitions.
7. The best performing franchisees had never made an espresso coffee before joining the network .
8. The mobile coffee chain is the first business for more than 90 percent of its franchisees.
9. Over the last four years a new franchisee has started up their business every 10 days.
10. Overseas there are 60 franchises in the UK, 12 in New Zealand and five in the US; the first South African franchise is set to open soon.