Research of the coffee shop market in the Czech Republic. Business ideas in the Czech Republic
Anna Tsfasman / Photo: Anna Marchenkova
The founder and CEO of Doubleby, Anna Tsfasman, never wanted to have her own business. An economist by training, she worked at the Artemy Lebedev Studio, Coca Cola, and was the managing director of the Caffeine chain. When Caffein investors began using inferior quality coffee beans, Tsfasman quit her job and founded Doubleby in 2012 with her partner. Since then, the coffee chain has grown to 77 outlets, and its revenue over the past year has more than doubled - to 666.3 million rubles. Anna Tsfasman told Inc. why you shouldn’t invest money in a premises, what is the profitability of a cup of coffee and why the best client is the one who buys the cheapest coffee, but every day.
How much can you earn from a coffee shop?
On average - 250-300 thousand rubles per month after paying all taxes. But this is if you run a coffee shop yourself. Otherwise, you will also have to deduct the manager’s salary.
Most of the Doubleby coffee shops were opened as franchises. To manage such a network, do you need to regulate every action of your franchisees?
This is unrealistic. Some simply come up with a concept without opening their own establishments and launch a franchise. Everything is planned and regulated for them, but nothing works. They say: “We’d rather be involved with our franchisees, helping them grow and develop, than messing around with our own shirt, which always seems closer to the body.”
But this is not your story...
They approached us for a franchise even before we opened our first location. And after its opening, demand only increased. We sold franchises carefully and slowly, developed in a targeted manner, took a long time to choose partners and still managed to make mistakes.
A business cannot be regulated if it is alive. The environment and people are constantly changing. For example, when we opened in 2013, almost no one drank black coffee: people didn’t really understand its taste. Now they are used to it and they like it. This is the cheapest item on the menu, so the calculation was, among other things, for stinginess.
Order black coffee and ask for milk?
It also happens.
At the same time, you are sure that black coffee will sooner or later become fashionable.
We do a lot for this: we persuade people to try it, we explain, we teach... Although I myself love coffee with milk, for which professionals often make fun of me.
“The cosmic profitability of coffee shops is a myth”
What are you working on now?
We open new coffee shops and increase our market share. People no longer need to go somewhere special; they can find us near home or near work. We are also learning how to tell clients about coffee. When guests understand how much work goes into a cup of coffee, how much they need to study and work to get the final result, they start drinking more coffee. There is a direct relationship here.
And in numbers?
When people drink coffee for pleasure rather than to wake up, they allow themselves two to four cups a day. Our best guest is the one who comes and orders the cheapest item for 150 rubles, but does this every day. Once, but every day! We don't need anything else. If we can get these kinds of guests, then our business will be fine for the next 100 years. But we still need to work on the service.
Are there any problems with this?
Yes, and not only here, but at all coffee shops of our type in the world. I talked to the Japanese, the British, the Americans... Everyone has the same thing. Young guys work in coffee shops - inspired, joyful... But they don’t know how to communicate correctly with guests, do everything quickly and clearly. It is very difficult to teach them this because you have to tighten the screws. We don't want to lose that liveliness when there's no wall between the guests and the barista. But our employees must understand the mood of each guest: who wants to talk and who doesn’t, do everything very quickly, know which side to serve the cup from. Here we are now talking at a table, there is a voice recorder, and an employee has placed a cup right next to the microphone. A well-trained waiter would never do this. Now the environment is simply non-competitive, but sooner or later service will come to the fore.
Doubleby in numbers
77 coffee shops
16 - own, 61 - franchisees
110 employees,
excluding franchisee employees
200 people per day
average coffee shop attendance
666.3 million rubles
revenue in 2016
1.5 million rubles / 1 million rubles / 20 thousand euros
franchise cost in Moscow / in the regions / in Europe
Main competitors
Starbucks, Shokoladnitsa, Coffeeshop Company
What is the profitability of a cup of coffee?
It depends on several factors. For example, black coffee is expensive in itself. Its cost is rarely below 1,600 rubles per kilogram. To brew a cup of coffee, you need approximately 20 grams. Plus there is water - we don’t take it from the tap. It must be passed through filters and boiled in a certain way. There is also a paper filter, which is needed when we brew coffee using a funnel - it also costs money. The cup needs to be washed, and sometimes it breaks. If we count everything together, then some kind of cosmic profitability that everyone is talking about does not work out. For example, you can hear that coffee shops have food cost ( food cost or food cost - Inc.) - 8%. It is not true. The cost of drinks that use expensive cream and caramel (we make them ourselves) can exceed 100 rubles.
Is the super-profitability of coffee shops a myth?
A good restaurant will have a food cost of 27%. A very good one has more than 30%, because it purchases expensive products, but still sells dishes at the average segment price. In our coffee shops, food cost ranges from 19 to 22%. To make money, we need a large number of clients. Raising prices is not an option. I want to be accessible to people, so that both students and retirees can afford a cup of coffee.
“I didn’t know Europe was so conservative”
How much does your franchise cost?
For Moscow - one and a half million, for the regions - a million, for Europe - 20 thousand euros.
Why did you open your first coffee shop abroad in Prague?
We planned to open it in Germany, but there was a large tax on the sale of roasted coffee. As a result, we “turned” to the Czech Republic. We want to develop in Europe. Even when Doubleby was launched, I said that we were not doing this for Moscow or for Russia. I want to prove to everyone that our format, concept and the way we work with coffee is a world-class project and product.
What was the biggest surprise when opening a coffee shop abroad?
- I didn’t know that Europe was so conservative. It takes much more time to get Czechs used to going to DoubleBee instead of their usual coffee shop than in Moscow. I was surprised that there is no media there in which we could talk about ourselves. There is no TimeOut, “Afisha”. There are publications like Lisa magazine, but publishing in them will not help increase traffic to the coffee shop. Czechs have no desire to learn something new. Of course, water wears away stones, and after a year they began to perceive us as one of their own. We recently won the Czech Barista Championship. This immediately affected the popularity of the coffee shop: plus 10% of visitors. Nowadays there are rarely free tables there, which is very pleasing.
Did the costs pay off?
We are still in the process, because in the Czech Republic we also do coffee roasting, and this is quite a large investment (about 130 thousand euros). I think the costs will pay off in a couple of years.
After the Czech Republic, you opened in Riga, Tbilisi, Minsk, Barcelona. What difficulties did you encounter there?
There are practically no premises in Barcelona that you can simply rent. Most often you have to pay traspaso- this is when someone has a contract for 10 years, he owns a restaurant license and sells you an assignment of lease rights. Its cost can be simply prohibitive. The rent itself will be small - 2-3 thousand euros per month, and the assignment of rental rights - 200 thousand euros.
What useful experiences have you had abroad?
We realized that we need to devote more time to social networks. We definitely haven’t done enough work here and are only now starting to catch up both in Barcelona and in other cities. In Prague, I watched how the guys, even before opening their simple coffee shop, ran an Instagram campaign: they posted photos: here we are painting the walls, and here we are laying the floor... By the opening, they already had an audience who came to see what they did and how. Therefore, now we will pay much more attention to social networks: we are launching our channel on Telegram, we are planning to make a channel on YouTube.
Is it difficult to find partners in Europe?
If you have a really good and bright business in Russia, then you will literally be inundated with various adventurous offers. There is no need to specifically look for anyone.
Does Russian legislation help you develop or rather hinder you?
I’m not one of those businessmen who say that everyone is bothering us here and everything is wrong. When you understand why certain regulatory requirements are needed, they are easy to comply with. Again, don't forget: we are crafty, we don't have food, and most of the difficulties that any restaurant or food service company faces are none of our business.
Have you changed your mind about salads?
Salads and sandwiches will definitely not appear at Doubleby - this is not even discussed. But we are working a lot with baked goods now. We made croissants with custard - guests get hooked on them at the speed of sound. This provides an opportunity for additional income, but has not yet affected our turnover. Still, people come to us for coffee, and we don’t sell tons of croissants. But I think a line of 4-5 items will affect turnover. Should at least...
“The market is wild right now.”
Is the specialty coffee market growing?
Roasters say it's growing. I will say more: he began to influence large companies.
How?
Imagine a farmer who grows coffee and rents everything to the state - for pennies, but receives a guaranteed income. A businessman comes to him and says: “You rented for 2 dollars, and I will buy for 6. Only I need you to properly process and collect the coffee. I'll teach you and pay you extra. And if you work well, you will be able to sell not for 6, but for 100.” And the farmer decides to try it: he gets a really great taste and his grains are sold at a high price. Colombia is a big village. All the neighbors see that some farmer, who previously had nothing to eat, suddenly bought a car, someone comes to his farm all the time. They come and ask: “Pedro, what’s the matter?” And now all the surrounding farmers are starting to work in a new way. Because of this, it has become very difficult for large corporations to buy coffee at the usual prices and signed contracts. Volumes go towards specialty. There are countries that, in principle, already deal only with expensive coffee: Panama, Costa Rica... And large traders do not yet understand what to do with it.
But is demand formed one way or another?
Sooner or later we will come to the point that good coffee will appear in restaurants and hotels... Now the market is wild: you can find Italian beans, roasted a year ago, mixed with robusta, and it will be written - “100% Arabica”. And some restaurants and hotels buy it for 3,000 rubles per kg, or even 6,000! Although excellent grains can be bought for 1500 or 2000 rubles/kg. Restaurant buyers don't really want to understand all this. This is all from an uncivilized market. Later everything will fall into place. Overcooked “Italians” will cost as much as they should: 500 rubles...
What are your plans to conquer the coffee shop market?
My task is to grow this pie. I need it to be big. Because by the time he grows up, I will have the largest share. I want half the pie.
What business rule do you always try to follow?
We are very sensitive to rental issues. We bargain with the owners until the last minute and try not to rent at a high price. We'd rather look for more than take risks. Renting can ruin any business.
What else is important?
Be able to make decisions. If a coffee shop operates in a bad location or something goes wrong, find the strength to close it and open in another place. We have developed a format that is very portable. Made a mistake? We just pack our things and move out. We don't invest a ton of money into walls and therefore aren't dragging a dead horse behind us.
Do you have a professional dream?
After I build a large global network, I will open my own hotel.
Continuing the gastronomic theme, I want to tell you about some coffee shops in Prague.
I'll start with Cafe "Slavia" (Kavárna Slavia)– the most popular and famous cafe in Prague, located on Smetana embankment(Smetanovo nábřeží) opposite the famous People's Theater(Národní divadlo) and 50 m from (Karlův most). The coffee house was opened back in 1884. The main visitors were spectators of the People's Theater. Among the famous people who frequented the coffee shop at one time were the composer Bedrich Smetana, the poet and playwright Jaroslav Kvapil, the writer Karel Capek, the artist Vaclav Spala, and others. These days, a famous visitor to the coffee shop was Vaclav Havel, the first president of the Czech Republic after the collapse of Czechoslovakia.
In addition to desserts and coffee, Café Slavia serves Czech and international cuisine. The coffee shop's hall is decorated in an elegant style: there are a lot of mirrors and wood, and there is a black grand piano in the center. Every evening from 17:00 to 23:00 masterpieces of classical music are performed in the cafe.
- Cost of dessert: from 79 to 109 Czech crowns (212-295 rubles).
- Cost of coffee: from 63 to 80 Czech crowns (170-217 rubles).
- Address Kavárna Slavia: Praha 1, Smetanovo nábřeží 1012/2
Another famous coffee shop in Prague is coffee shop "Louvre" (Café Louvre). The coffee shop has been operating since 1902. Among its frequent visitors in the past are Karl Czapka, Franz Kafka, and even Albert Einstein during his stay in Prague.
The cafe has several spacious rooms. During your meal you can order chess, dice or dominoes for an additional fee. Here you can also play billiards or table hockey in a separate room.
- Cost of dessert: from 65 to 79 Czech crowns (176-212 rubles).
- Cost of coffee: from 55 to 69 Czech crowns (149-187 rubles).
- Address Café Louvre: Praha 1, Narodni 22
The most fashionable and glamorous cafe in Prague is undoubtedly Cafe Cafe. In this place you can try delicious desserts at very affordable prices or drink a glass of elite champagne Moët & Chandon. Due to the large number of visitors, the cafe is often full of space, however, the cafe has recently expanded. The good news is that in summer there are several tables outside the cafe, and you have a chance to sit outside with a cup of aromatic coffee.
- Cost of desserts: approximately from 90 to 110 Czech crowns (244-298 rubles).
- Café Café address: Praha 1, Rytiřská 10
Our recent discovery was coffee shop Colore (Café Colore). The coffee house is positioned as a union of Parisian and Viennese coffee houses under one roof. The coffee shop offers a large selection of both main dishes and home-made cakes. We were pleasantly surprised by the service: the waiters explained each dessert in detail and readily answered questions. The interior of the cafe is very interesting: there is stucco on the ceiling, paintings in the art nouveau style on the walls.
- The average price of desserts in this cafe is 100 Czech crowns (271 rubles).
- Café Colore address: Praha 1, Palackeho 740/1
Prague boasts some of the most delicious and beautifully decorated cakes. coffee shop chain Ovocny světozor. In addition to cakes with cream, fruit, cheese and other types of cakes, they sell coffee, small snack canapés, and various types of ice cream. This chain has been operating in Prague since 1992 and has established itself as a place with quality baked goods. It is also possible to make custom cakes here.
I advise you to pay special attention to yoghurt fruit cakes.
- The average price of desserts in this cafe is from 50 to 200 Czech crowns (135-542 rubles).
- Addresses of coffee shops Ovocny světozor: Praha 1, Vodičkova 39 (Pasáž Světozor); Prague 1, Havlicova 1682/15; Praha 1, Václavské n. 52; Praha 3, Atrium Flora shopping center; Praha 4, shopping center Centrum Chodov; Praha 9, shopping center CČM, Chlumecká 6
Prague is also home to the world famous Starbucks coffee chain. Starbucks is an American coffee company with the largest chain of coffee shops in the world - 20,891 coffee shops in 62 countries. As of 2012, there are 62 Starbucks coffee shops in Russia (2 of them are located in St. Petersburg, the rest are in Moscow), in the Czech Republic – 12 coffee shops, all of which are located in Prague.
Starbucks sells cold and warm coffee drinks, coffee, sandwiches, and desserts. Here you can also buy coffee beans of varying degrees of roasting - weak (blonde roast), medium (medium roast), or strong (dark roast).
Personally, I recommend trying the following drinks: Caramel Macchiato And Hot Chocolate Classic. I highly recommend desserts chocolate and blueberry muffins, and cheesecakes– they are amazing here!
- Average cost of a coffee mug — 100 Czech crowns (271 rubles). You can take coffee to go. The coffee shop has wi-fi.
- Addresses of Starbucks coffee shops: Praha 1, Na Poříčí 24-26; Praha 1, Václavské náměstí 40; Praha 1, Malostranské náměstí 28/5; Praha 1, Václavské náměstí 57; Praha 1, Staroměstské náměstí 26; Praha 1, Václavské náměstí 40; Praha 1, Palladium shopping center, Nám. Republiky 1079/1a
Finding Starbucks is quite easy - just look at green logo with mermaid.
Starbucks' competition is different chain of English coffee shops Costa Coffee. In 2012, it was awarded in the category “Best Coffee Shop Chain in Europe”. The coffee shop has 442 stores in 34 countries. There are 25 Costa Coffee chain coffee shops in the Czech Republic, 18 of which are located in Prague.
In the summer here in Costa Coffee refreshing lemonades and iced coffee, in winter - warming punch and mocha coffee. You can also snack on sandwiches and dessert here.
- The average cost of a mug of coffee starts from 100 Czech crowns (271 rubles). You can take coffee to go. The coffee shop has wi-fi and fresh newspapers.
- Addresses of Costa Coffee coffee shops: Praha 1, Národní 63/26; Praha 3, shopping center Palác Flora, Vinohradská 151; Praha 1, Palladium shopping center, Nám. Republiky 1079/1a; Praha 5, shopping center Smíchov, Plzeňská 8; Prague 1, Václavské náměstí 794/38 (Pasz Rokoko)
Going in and drinking a cup of invigorating coffee in one of the coffee shops in Prague is commonplace today, but how to decide on the place? We offer 14 of the best establishments in the city, where you will find delicious coffee, excellent pastries and amazing local cuisine.
If you know a good coffee shop, a couple of lines about it, we will definitely add it to this list.
Coffee shops on the map
Cafedu
Located near the National Museum of Prague, the coffee shop is popular among students and those who like to combine several activities: here you can both relax and work, because the atmosphere allows you not only to relax, but also to prepare for extremely difficult exams at the university. By the way, the founder of Cafedu is also a former student who, having become interested in such a business, completed courses in England, after which she came to Prague and opened her own coffee shop.
- Address: Skrétova 490/12, Prague 2
- Phone: +420 776 790 660
- Opening hours: 7:30–22:00
- Website: cafedu.cz
Coffee Break & Cake
It is located near the Higher School of Economics and offers its customers an excellent variety of alcoholic drinks (the place is famous for its quality beer at a very reasonable price). In the recent past, Coffee Break & Cake began to be called a “chain”, as they acquired an additional hall in the Albertov area, which became very convenient for local students.
- Address: Husinecka 557/2, Prague 3
- Phone: +420 602 398 898
- Opening hours: 7:30–19:30
- Website: coffeebc.cz
Cafe NONA
The place, popular among lovers of cityscapes, is located on Narodnaya Street. On weekdays in the coffee shop you can try delicious lemonade while enjoying the view from the window, and on weekends you can see famous musical groups, writers, poets and artists who stop by to show off their own work and chat with colleagues.
- Address: Národní 1393/4, Prague 1
- Phone: +420 775 755 147
- Opening hours: 9:00–24:00
- Website: cafenona.cz
Grand Cafe Orient
It was opened 80 years ago and is considered the oldest coffee shop in Prague. The small room of the hall, which, by the way, is located right on the first floor of the house “At the Black Mother of God,” is decorated in the style of cubism. Here you can not only have a good rest, but also get to know the style more closely by examining the interior and rich decoration of the hall.
- Address: Ovocny trh 569/19, Prague 1
- Phone: +420 224 224 240
- Opening hours: 9:00–22:00
- Website: grandcafeorient.cz
Slavia
Perhaps the only coffee shop that welcomes thousands of local residents and tourists every day due to its convenient location - the Smetanovo embankment. The place is unique in that it offers visitors home-cooked food and unique, inexpensive desserts.
- Address: Smetanovo nábřeží 1012/2, Prague 1
- Phone: +420 224 218 493
- Opening hours: 8:00–0:00
- Website: cafeslavia.cz
Už jsme home
The place is very popular among local residents. Here you can sit in a noisy group and celebrate a significant date by drinking something strong. The coffee house is distinguished by frequent literary evenings, exhibitions and concerts, most often taking place on weekends and holidays. By the way, coffee connoisseurs come here to enjoy the Silver Blend variety.
- Address: Uralská 770/6, Prague 6
- Phone: +420 606 736 666
- Opening hours: 15:00–23:00
- Website: uzjstedoma.cz
Cafe V Lese
Lovers of literature and various small-scale cultural events will also like this coffee shop, located in the Vršovice district. Its founder is Ondrej Kobza, famous in Prague. He planned to combine under one roof a cozy relaxation area with excellent drinks at affordable prices, as well as a creative area where you can read poetry, sing or play the piano.
- Address: Krymská 273/12, Prague 10
- Phone: +420 737 175 868
- Website: cafevlese.cz
Kavárna Pražírna
Open almost 24 hours a day, the coffee shop, not far from the Pavlova metro station, hospitably welcomes tourists and local residents. The atmosphere here allows you to relax and plunge headlong into reading your favorite book, secluded at a single table.
- Address: Lublaňská 676/50, Prague 2
- Phone: +420 720 385 622
- Opening hours: 8:30–22:00
- Website: kavarnaprazirna.cz
Cafe Atmosferas
Russian-speaking staff, excellent music and delicious home-cooked food - this is what you will remember about this coffee shop, conveniently located in the very center of Prague. Unlike the Slavia coffee shop, where it is almost impossible to concentrate and work during the day, Atmosferas has all the conditions for this.
- Address: Ve Smečkách 592/22, Prague 1
- Phone: +420 776 616 810
La Boheme Cafe
A place that will be appreciated primarily by true connoisseurs of good varieties of tea and coffee. In addition, the place is also unique for its online store, where at any time convenient for you you can purchase dishes, as well as your favorite type of drink.
- Address: Sázavská 2031/32, Prague 2
- Phone: +420 734 207 049
- Opening hours: 8:00–20:00
- Website: labohemecafe.eu
Čekarna
A very young coffee shop, located not far from and has already proven itself among its many competitors. In the establishment you can find both local varieties of coffee and real exotic coffee. To accompany your hot drink, you can also order an equally unique dessert, for example, from the confectionery manufacturer Rosaria. And for exotic things, you will be offered local cider, amazing Czech wines and Rohozec beer.
Alexey Gusakov, CEO of Coffee Like, the largest chain of coffee bars in Russia, told RBC+ how takeaway coffee establishments outperform traditional coffee shops.
— Attendance at full-service coffee shops, according to the NPD Group, fell last year in Russia, but for quick-service coffee shops this figure increased by almost a quarter. What's happening in the market?
— Indeed, HoReCA market analysts provide information about a drop in traffic in cafes and restaurants. Traffic in our establishments is growing. In 2017, the number of transactions in our coffee bars increased by 30%, the average bill increased by 12 rubles.
The Coffee Like network is represented mainly in the regions. We now have the most democratic and viable format - “coffee to go”. Our guest does not need to pay extra for waiter service; he does not incur the cost of renting additional premises for the coffee shop. Thus, we can offer the market an inexpensive drink that is more expensive than coffee from a machine for 60 rubles, but is at a completely different quality level. We often hear that in the regions they will not buy coffee for 120-150 rubles. However, they are buying! So we are optimistic about the market's prospects.
Prices for coffee in the Coffee Like and Starbucks chains by region
|
Net |
Drink |
Volume |
Price in specified cities, rub. |
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|
Moscow |
Saint Petersburg |
Rostov-on-Don |
Kazan |
Ekaterinburg |
Samara |
Yaroslavl |
|||
|
Starbucks |
espresso solo |
toll |
|||||||
|
Americano |
grande |
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|
cappuccino |
grande |
||||||||
|
Coffee Like |
espresso |
60 ml |
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|
Americano |
300 ml |
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|
cappuccino |
300 ml |
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Our main audience is people aged 21-27, among them there are many students and professionals at the start of their careers, who were least affected by the crisis, because their incomes have never been high. These guys are just beginning to absorb coffee culture. By the way, the “coffee to go” format is increasingly preferred by the more solvent population aged 28-35. In our network, the share of such guests increased by 15% in 2017.
— Coffee Like is the largest chain of takeaway coffee establishments in the Russian Federation?
— Yes, we are the largest among coffee bars. The closest competitor in the coffee-to-go format has about 190 establishments, we have more than 300, and by the end of the year we plan to increase the network to 400 outlets. In terms of the number of outlets in Russia, we are second only to Shokoladnitsa. We now have 177 partners in 85 Russian cities. Kyrgyzstan and Latvia are coming; We are negotiating with Singapore.
— At the same time, your headquarters is in Izhevsk. Is it difficult to develop an all-Russian business not from the center?
— To be honest, it doesn’t matter where you start. There are two strategies. The first is to open in Moscow and go to the regions as a “metropolitan thing”. The second is to first develop the regions and then come to Moscow. There are several successful examples of the second strategy in Russia, one of the most striking is the Krasnodar chain Magnit. There is another option - not to come to the capital at all. We don’t put Moscow as a priority.
— What are the main factors that influence the profitability of takeaway coffee establishments?
— Emotions are important in the coffee business, but 90% of the success of a coffee-to-go outlet is the choice of location and barista. No one will go to the edge of town for a glass of coffee, so you need to “grow up” right under the nose of your guest. We have a working methodology for determining the most promising traffic points; our partners receive it from us. However, even in a good place with an unfriendly barista, you will lose, since people will not come a second time. If the barista is great, he will force guests to come to him in person.
— What’s the best way to open such an establishment—on your own or as a franchise?
— A franchise is a very fashionable story, many people want it, but not everyone understands the meaning. The Russian Franchising Association says that one hundred new franchises appear in the country every year. That is, every year a hundred new dudes try to sell their business as making money. But in reality, many franchises, after paying the fees, turn out to be four pieces of paper with text, that’s all. For us, a franchise is much more: our business model has been working for four years, the revenue of some partners reaches 70 million rubles. in year. At the same time, 80% of the guys come to us with no business experience at all. Out of two thousand monthly applications, we select ten, teach at our own academy and provide tools: an ERP system and a “knowledge base” - 500 articles on the best cases, coffee bar technologies and life hacks from partners. We were offered to sell the base several times, there were even hacking attempts. True, this makes no sense, it’s all about constant updates.
Finally, we have developed a program for growing our affiliate business to several establishments. Our franchisees are currently working on opening establishments in the Czech Republic and China. There is also a separate skill development program for baristas - from a candidate and trainee to a chain manager. In general, the academy is now a key division for us; few people have such a system on the market.
— How much does it cost on average to open a takeaway coffee shop in Russia?
— If we talk about our network, then the amounts range from 700 thousand to 1 million rubles. enough for everything, including equipment and lump sum. These investments pay off in completely different ways, depending on the cost of rent and traffic, but on average it is six months.
— Is the Russian buyer different from the European one?
— In Russia, each person consumes approximately 1.6 kg of coffee annually, and in Europe – 7.8 kg. We are not too different from Europe in terms of taste, so coffee consumption, and with it the market, will grow two to three times in the very near future. I think that in five years we will see the coffee industry flourishing and stabilizing.
— Is a person walking down the street with a paper cup of coffee still not a completely familiar format for Russia? Or is that not true?
— Drinking coffee on the go is already quite common, in big cities for sure. The “coffee to go” format is an emotion, and a beautiful glass is a reason to take a photo and post it on social networks. We are happy to support this and constantly offer our guests something new. For example, in the fall we released a limited series of designer cups; our “Warm Greetings” program has been running since last year - everyone can send a gift in the form of a cup of coffee to any city where Coffee Like is available. Our marketers are currently working on the brand’s participation in product placement in films. The Western film industry played a key role in the popularization of coffee shops, especially in the to-go format. In an amicable way, those entrepreneurs who work in our format should regularly chip in and donate money to the creators of the series “Sex and the City,” where the heroines constantly walked around with cups of coffee.
