Combining skills, ahead of the curve

The new owners of Black & White Coffee Cartel in Timaru only picked up the reins in late September this year, but with their formidable combination of skills they are confident they’ve made a solid investment. “We took on a big responsibility, not only with the business but inheriting 16 staff,” explains co-owner Amanjodh Singh. “While it’s hard to evaluate the data so early on, we know numbers are up because all our friends have started coming!”

If location has anything to do with success in the café world, the Timaru Black & White Coffee Cartel outlet has it in spades. “One of the big attractions was the location,” says Amanjodh. “Bang alongside the newly developed Bunnings, it has a Woolworths on the other side, oodles of parking, and the showgrounds opposite. From that perspective alone, it is a winner.”

Friends and co-owners of the new enterprise along with their respective wives, Amanjodh and Jaspreet Singh have skills and experience in retail, hospitality and accounting. “Jaspreet and I had often talked about a business together,” says Amanjodh, “but, like a lot of things, it took longer than we imagined.”

Decisions, decisions

“We decided, early on, that we would start off with a franchise because so much has been established, such as connections in the market, suppliers and all the stuff they already know, that you don’t! Starting from scratch would have been much harder,” he says. “We knew we had a good team because Jasmeet, my wife, had been working as head chef at a big local café, and Jaspreet’s wife, Ravinder, has a wealth of experience in catering too. The question was, what should we go for?”

Outstanding among the potential brands for the Timaru quartet was Black & White Coffee Cartel. Established in 2014, the vision was to build a series of coffee shops for a city being rebuilt, with its future in mind. Reuben Thorne, Canterbury’s son of rugby, was one of the trio that opened the first outlet in Christchurch’s Victoria Street, in February 2015. It was an immediate success, being rapidly taken to heart by a population keen to establish a new café culture in the city. Since the franchise model was launched in 2017, Black & White Coffee Cartel has opened 18 cafés across the country.

Ahead of the coffee curve

Establishing a new brand is one thing but giving it a unique selling point to make it stand out is another. “This is what really attracted us to the brand,” says Amanjodh. “The store is very hands-on, in that every café has an onsite coffee roaster. This means the coffee brewed in each store is roasted right there in that store, in full view of the customers. 

“Small batch roasting has many benefits; in particular, it cuts out the middleman, and what fills each cup is of a much higher, fresher quality. Our coffee goes from raw to roasted to drunk, all under one roof!”

In Europe, this in-house roasting has been traditional since the first Viennese coffee houses opened, but it is new to New Zealand. As Black & White Coffee has found, it is proving a great success among the growing hordes of coffee aficionados in the nation.

As well as the freshest blends of coffee carefully selected from Brazil’s Cerrado and Honduras’s La Flor regions, the Black & White Coffee Cartel offers a wide selection of food, seasonal to local supply. “This is where Jasmeet and Ravinder really shine,” says Amanjodh, “they both have the experience to ensure we are meeting the high standards the franchise has set in its baking and cooking.”

Facing the fears

Amanjodh admits that despite the long-held wish to start a business, all four of them were very nervous about paying the bills, the mortgage and the debt. They feel their decision to buy an established franchised brand has been entirely vindicated. “We had excellent support throughout the training and early periods, and we consider the fees to be reasonable,” he says. 

“Jaspreet and I were very worried about making coffee, but we’ve learned quickly. For anyone going into this business, firstly having an outstanding brand such as Black & White Coffee Cartel is a must. Secondly, having a good business sense and knowing how to manage people is an asset. No-one has left, so we must be doing OK,” he smiles.

Passion is the ruling desire for success with the Black & White Coffee Cartel franchise, as Chief Operations Officer Tony Yin points out. “People are passionate about coffee, and there is no doubt that roasting on site produces a superior product. With a passion for success and a superb brand, potential franchisees are on to a winner.”

Get started

A turnkey Black & White Coffee Cartel café will start at around $350,000. “As a franchise system with so many successful stores behind us, we have favourable relationships with banks,” says Tony. 

“The Timaru store has amply demonstrated the potential of a co-operative group to spread the investment. Regardless of where you live in New Zealand, if you have the right attitude and, most importantly, a passion for coffee, we’d love to help you into a thriving business.”  

See this advertorial on page 39 of Franchise New Zealand magazine Year 33 Issue 4

Contact details for Black and White Coffee Cartel

For more information and advice on buying a franchise get your FREE copy of Franchise New Zealand magazine.

We welcome links from other websites to this article. Please note that this article is copyright © Eden Exchange NZ Holdings Limited, Franchise New Zealand magazine and Franchise New Zealand On Line. While it may be downloaded for personal use, no part may be reproduced on any other website, in electronic or printed form or in any other form whatsoever.