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Zarraffa’s Coffee employee relocates to open her own franchise

Sarah Stowe

A long-term Zarraffa’s Coffee employee has relocated from the Gold Coast to Ballina to open up her first coffee shop franchise.

Corinne Mckenzie and her husband Jarrod are fulfilling a dream by taking the reins of the 74th Zarraffa’s store.

Starting as a barista 13 years ago Corinne was a store manager for seven years on the Gold Coast, then joined head office as a franchise trainer for four and a half years.

“Our plan is to be involved in the community – through local schools, businesses and sporting associations. Supporting ‘our backyard’ has always been a core part of what Zarraffa’s stores do and I am keen to start forging local relationships through coffee,” said Corinne.

The new Ballina store showcases the company’s store operations, with internal and external dining options and a full-service drive thru and it marks a ‘reigniting’ of expansion plans into New South Wales, said CEO Marnie Sheldon.

Zarraffa's Coffee Ballina | Inside Franchise Business
Zarraffa’s Coffee Ballina | Inside Franchise Business

“This will be our sixth store in NSW and Ballina is a natural progression of our Zarraffa’s store growth; so many locals are familiar with our Aussie-owned, specialty coffee offering it made sense to open a drive thru store in the Northern Rivers,” Marnie said.

“We’re fortunate that our drive thru model has withstood many issues that Covid has wrought on businesses, allowing so many of our stores to continue to viably trade in both a takeaway and drive thru capacity.”

Strategically no longer a shopping centre brand, Zarraffa’s is now focusing on standalone sites for expansion over the next five years.

“Our aim is to drive steady growth across regional pockets, offering convenient speciality coffee to more people and areas,” Marnie said.

“Zarraffa’s has never been about growth for growth’s sake, rather taking our time to match franchisees with the right locations for the optimal outcome.”