Coffee Nation looks for growth

Coffee Nation – the fast-growing self-service coffee business which has already secured relationships with Tesco Express, WH Smith Travel and motorway service station operator Wellcome Break – is considering its refinancing options as it looks to fund its expansion plans.

The company, whose machines have fast become a common fixture in motorway service stations in particular, currently has a presence at 320 UK sites. Founder and chief executive Martyn Dawes hopes to increase this figure to around 500 by spring 2006 and believes that there is potential for this figure to then triple within three or four years.

With plans to trial the concept in Europe also on the agenda, Dawes is now considering a range of funding options. He admits he is yet to rule anything out, whether it be a further tranche of private equity finance – Primary Capital supported the group to the tune of £4 million back in 2000 – or even a stock market flotation.

Coffee Nation, which most recently announced a deal to pilot its gourmet self-serve coffee bars in a number of Odeon/UCI’s cinemas, generated sales of around £12 million last year.

Leslie Copeland

Leslie Copeland

Leslie was made Editor for Growth Company Investor magazine in 2000, then headed up the launch of Business XL magazine, and then became Editorial Director in 2007 for the online and print publication portfolio...

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