__________________________________________________________________________________________ Black Sheep Coffee
Exponential expansion
With a high level of consistency across its stores around the globe, Gabriel explains the small differences that are present in certain locations:“ In separate markets, we make local adaptations. For instance, in the UAE, we are known for our za’ atar croissants and our Arabian lattes that are only available in our Middle Eastern shops, and in the US, our drinks come in larger sizes.” Gabriel then goes on to explain the importance of research and development( R & D) for such an enterprise:“ R & D is critical for us. Retail is all about being one step ahead of the game by constantly scrapping old ideas and implementing new ones, so we’ re always looking for ways to improve our range. In the last year, the notable new launches were our matcha drinks range and our açaí bowls, but we’ ve got some really exciting new stuff coming this summer, so watch this space!”
After opening its first store in Ireland, Gabriel explains how the company approached the decision, as well as how it has impacted the business:“ More so than the location, the important decision for Northern Ireland was to pick the right local partner. Lawrence Bannon is an incredible operator who is as passionate about Black Sheep Coffee as we are and who understands retail like no one else in Northern Ireland. As a result, our Donegall Square shop in the Pearl Assurance Building in Belfast has absolutely shattered all our forecasts and is delivering twice the sales that we had predicted in our business plan. It took us a couple of weeks to adapt to the higherthan-expected demand but waiting times have come down significantly now and are almost in line with the rest of the network, so we’ re super excited about the upcoming openings in Ireland this year.”
After signing a 30-year franchise agreement with the Al Farran Group, operations in the Middle East are also set to significantly expand. Gabriel explains:“ There are 11 additional openings planned in the UAE alone this year.”
Concluding, Gabriel highlights the company’ s bold ambitions for the future:“ Our goal is to rid the world of boring, average-tasting coffee, and to do that, we have to become the largest coffee company in the world. Whether it takes us five years, or ten, or even 15 isn’ t as important to us as reaching that goal.” ■
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