The Coffee Club is an Australian multinational
coffeehouse-style
café
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non ...
chain. Originally created in 1989 as a place to get "an excellent coffee",
the concept includes cafébar/restaurant stores with expanded menus and full table service. In 2005, The Coffee Club franchise was brought to New Zealand by
Brad Jacobs and Andy Lucas opening their first store in Wellington. As of 2021, they have over 65 stores all around New Zealand.
History
In 1989, friends Emmanuel Kokoris and Emmanuel Drivas were searching for a late-night cup of coffee in Brisbane. Their unsuccessful attempt led them to plan a new business venture: The Coffee Club,
which rested on the Greek concept of philoxenia''
' - hospitality to strangers.
The first store opened on 2 November 1989 at
Eagle Street Pier in Brisbane.
On 1 July 1994 The Coffee Club became a franchise.
In November 2005 the first international store was opened in Wellington, New Zealand, by master franchisees Bradley Jacobs and Andy Lucas. As of May 2019, they have operated 64 cafes throughout New Zealand.
In October 2007, Thai company
Minor International
Minor International is a Thai multi-national company based in Bangkok, Thailand. The three core businesses of Minor are hospitality, restaurants and lifestyle brands distribution, operated under subsidiary companies Minor Hotels, Minor Food, an ...
announced it would acquire a 50% stake in The Coffee Club.
The move not only advanced plans to expand The Coffee Club into Asia and the Middle East
but also assists expansion of brands such as
Swensen's ice creams into Australia.
Minor International paid more than $23 million for their share of The Coffee Club. The first Thai store opened in December 2008.
In September 2011, The Coffee Club group acquired Australian
steakhouse
A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse refers to a restaurant that specializes in steaks and chops, found mainly in North America. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including poultry, roast prime rib, and veal, as well as ...
chain Ribs and Rumps, which Drivas says is a family-friendly brand "appealing to the same customer base" as The Coffee Club.
As at October 2013, The Coffee Club at Brisbane Airport was the busiest in Australia; Townsville's Domain retail centre was the second busiest.
In 2021 The Coffee Club was inducted into the
Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame
In 2009 State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Library Foundation and the QUT Business School
The QUT Business School is one of six faculties at the Queensland University of Technology. It is home to the QUT Graduate School of Business, a ...
, in recognition of its successful development from Australia’s leading coffee retail business into a major, thriving international brand through sustained entrepreneurship.
Responsible business practices
In 2009, The Coffee Club joined the
UTZ Certification program, promoting
fair and
sustainable coffee production.
In 2011, The Coffee Club joined the
RSPCA's "Choose Wisely" campaign,
promoting humane food production.
See also
*
List of coffeehouse chains
This list of notable coffeehouse chains catalogues the spread and markets share of coffeehouses world-wide. This list excludes the many companies which operate coffeeshops within retail establishments, notably bookstores and department stores, o ...
*
List of restaurant chains in Australia
This is a list of notable restaurant chains in Australia. A restaurant chain is a set of related restaurants with the same name in many different locations that are either under shared corporate ownership (e.g., McDonald's in the U.S.) or franchi ...
References
External links
The Coffee ClubThe Coffee Club (NZ)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coffee club
Minor International
Coffeehouses and cafés in Australia
Restaurants established in 1989
Companies based in Brisbane
1989 establishments in Australia
Multinational companies headquartered in Australia