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Baristas in bikinis
Yes, its not a rumor, its a fact and its only at Coffee Nation, a small town coffee shop located in Salem. According to Adam Marshall, founder of Coffee Nation, plans are on the table to expand into other areas through franchising.
Coffee market and its expansion
IT HAS been 10 years since a little-known coffee company named after the US city of Seattle opened its first branded shop in the UK. Like a shot of strong espresso, the move fuelled a boom in cappuccino culture as chains including Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero, Caffè Ritazza and Scotland’s own Beanscene transformed the tea-drinking British into a nation of coffee lovers.
Now, having conquered the US and with UK sales growing strongly, the battleground looks to be moving onto the plains of Europe.
According to market research group Allegra Strategies, the European branded market across the Continent is forecast to continue growing at nearly 9% a year, expanding from 7,000 outlets to more than 11,000 by 2012.
Allegra Strategies says that while all European markets remain dominated by small, independent coffee shop operators, the trend is definitely in favour of well-funded and highly sophisticated brand operators such as Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Caffè Ritazza and the newly created McDonald’s McCafe.
Jeffrey Young, managing director of Allegra Strategies, says: “A number of key markets are showing many of the characteristics of the UK market nearly a decade ago. If the growth achieved in the UK is any indication of future European trends, these markets will be significant in the next few years.
“Future growth will ultimately be dominated by a smaller number of large multi-country operators as smaller local, mainly franchise, players struggle to gain critical mass and are unable to compete with the brand appeal and operational expertise of global leaders.”
The firm’s report says that the UK is by far the most developed market with roughly 3,000 coffee bars - a figure that is still growing by 8% per year - but Europe is potentially massive. According to IGD market research, across Europe 190 billion cups of hot beverages are consumed out of the home each year.
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Sydney tea party smashed by storm
Thirty people were treated for injuries caused by the latest in a string of thunderstorms to lash Sydney this summer.
Hailstones up to seven centimetres in diameter and damaging winds tore through an outdoor tea party at Kemps Creek on Sydney’s western outskirts injuring 30 women, who were treated by ambulance officers, at about 4.30pm (AEDT) today, the Seven Network has reported.
“It looked like the end of the world. I’ve never seen anything like it,” one woman told Seven.
Another woman told Seven that the winds lifted slabs of concrete.
Residents in Sydney’s west and north made more than 100 calls to the State Emergency Service for help with flash flooding and fallen trees.
Electricity was cut to about 10,000 homes.
Flights at Sydney airport were disrupted by the storm and further delays were expected.
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said: “We’ve had lots of reports of hail of golf-ball size and we’ve had a few reports of hail up to seven centimetres in a couple of places.”
Sydney has been lashed by a fierce afternoon thunderstorm almost every day during this summer’s hot and humid weather.
Meanwhile, police today released the name and an image of a man killed by a shop awning collapse during a storm at Balgowlah on Sydney’s northern beaches on Friday afternoon.
Craig Taylor, 53, was crushed by the awning and bricks that fell from the shop’s facade.
He died at the scene.
Mr Taylor’s family thanked the community for its support following the accident.
“Craig was deeply loved by everyone who knew him, especially by his wife and children. He was tirelessly devoted to his family,” the family said in a statement.