Grind your way to profit

Coffee brings people together. It unites generations, cultures and even continents. The Coffeeshop company strives for a perfect coffee experience with a warm and welcoming ambiance.

For more than 60 years Coffeeshop Company has been providing customers with premium tools of the trade. This premium coffee concept was founded in 1957 by Dr Alexander Schärf, and now operates as the Schärf group. Despite massive contributions into the coffee industry, the coffee shop as we know it today wasn’t opened until 1999 in Vienna, Austria. This Viennese coffee culture company emerged as a global franchise in the year 2000 and now spans across 20 countries in 5 continents; employing 3,500 across their 290 plus shops worldwide. They serve high end Arabica beans and a range of gastronomical accompanies.

The company aims to be a world leader in terms of transparent and sustainable coffee practices. They have created direct partnerships with coffee farmers in several coffee producing countries around the world. This is what leads their proud guiding principle, “From the farm into the cup.” The Coffeeshop Company is the only enterprise where you can obtain products, service, knowledge and technologies from the one single source, relying on the decades of experience of a family business operating in professional catering and franchising. Testament to their success, in 2011, The Coffeeshop Company was included in the UNESCO list of “intangible cultural heritage.”

The company is seeking both franchisees and master franchisees across Europe and the world. There are several different concept choices and size options available for the would-be investor. Firstly, depending on your target market, you have the option of choosing between a young and cool, eco-shabby themed store - or - a more traditional, elegant and classy chic establishment. Can’t make up your mind? Well, they say you can create a hybrid of the two concepts. As mentioned, depending on your location and budget, there are different size options available. They range from a small storefront (15-40sqm), to a medium sized store (40-150sqm), and a large marquee store (>150sqm). Compact and mobile stores are also a possibility.

Franchise target locations indicated by the Austrian company include, business parks, large cities, petrol stations, ski resorts, shopping malls and centres, as well as transit hubs such as airports and train stations. According to the Coffeeshop Company, they believe success comes from their “quality and service standards.” They encourage suitable candidates to take their key - open the door and become a part their family. If you’re a coffee lover and share their passion for quality – this might just be the crema of the crop.  

SUPPORT FOR THE FRANCHISE

• Help finding a suitable location
• Help preparing an architectural design
• Based on many years of international experience, they will build your new café down to the last detail
• Help finding and training staff
• Help with the design of local marketing
• Help with the supply of all the necessary raw material direct to the operation
• Creative and trend-leading conception of seasonal promotions
• Access to their software solution for data management, reporting, shop details etc.
• Visually prepared and technically supported delivery of all handbooks, manuals, training materials and guidelines.
• On-going support

FRANCHISEE REQUIREMENTS

As a candidate for a Coffeeshop Company franchise partnership you would ideally have the following qualifications:

• Professional education and work experience in food service
• “Hands-on” performance-orientated mindset
• Capital contribution
• Self-confident appearance, cultivated manners, extrovert character

UNITS

Total units: 290+

• Home unit: Vienna, Austria

KEY FIGURES

• Average franchise investment: EUR 80,000-150,000 (depending on size and location)
• Contact duration: 5 years
• Open to franchisees and master franchisees
• Franchise fee: 6-7%