Brewing up proven prospects

A landmark year is incoming for the Columbus Coffee franchise, with the brand set to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025. It’s a mark of longevity and stability that is the envy of many newcomers to the sector.

There’s another factor that surprises many people when introduced to the franchise, and that is the diversity of the people who own the businesses.

“Over the past 29 years, we’ve worked with the likes of hairdressers, kindy teachers, payroll officers, policemen – people from so many different backgrounds. We work alongside each person to transform them into a successful small business owner,” explains Jon Hassall, the franchise’s Chief Operating Officer.

“Our training programme recognises every person’s strengths, as well as their individual requirements. Every candidate succeeds through our bespoke training programme,” Jon says.

“If you’re excited about the prospect of having your own busy café business, and you’re willing to learn all about hospitality, then what better place to begin your journey?”

A highly visible, much-loved brand

Columbus Coffee’s network spans New Zealand; from Kerikeri in the North Island down to Invercargill in the south, with cafés up and down both sides of both islands.

“Our presence is equally represented on the high streets as well as inside Mitre 10 stores up and down the country,” says Jon. “In addition, our customer loyalty database contains a significant percentage of the country’s population, so we are well-known, well-loved and trusted everywhere.”

He agrees that New Zealand’s café space is crowded, but says having a regularly updated national menu with ‘local favourites’ means the Columbus Coffee brand is nimble and local, as well as highly reputable.

Columbus Coffee is far from resting on its laurels too, Jon says, with seven new cafés currently in the planning stages. And that number could well increase with New Zealand’s improving economy, he says, predicting even more opportunities in the months and years ahead.

Relevant and reactive

One thing is for certain, when you’re in the driver’s seat of a Columbus Coffee franchise – you are never on your own. The franchise support team stays in constant touch and is always ready to answer any of your questions, however big or small.

“We send a weekly training document to all our partners to ensure we remain nimble, relevant and ready to react to any new trends or regulatory changes in the marketplace,” says Jon.

This regular communication is used to benchmark each business, highlight any areas that require attention, reveal any marketing data, and much more, he says.

“On top of this, we conduct a five-week training programme for each new franchise owner, and you can expect regular field visits from our Operations, Marketing, and Food and Beverage teams. We also meet formally twice a year and offer a very useful online toolbox, which includes video resources.”

Cause for more confidence

Columbus Coffee has an amazing record of success, now spanning 30 years. It is an enviable track record, which includes winning the Westpac Supreme Franchise System of the Year award twice running, with support staff more recently winning the Field Manager of the Year award several times. In 2015 Columbus franchisees were named Westpac Supreme Franchisees of the Year and the franchise won Media Campaign of the Year. Columbus Coffee was once again named a finalist in this year’s upcoming Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards.

So, this is a franchise that deserves closer inspection. There has never been a better time to do it, explains Jon, given that interest rates are showing signs of improving in the short term and New Zealand’s business environment is again looking positive going forward.

“This is a franchise that successfully navigated the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to perform well as the country comes out of a cost-of-living crisis that has impacted strongly on the country’s hospitality sector.

“There is the benefit of that rock-solid partnership the franchise has with Mitre 10 and the bonus of having secured some of the best locations within our towns and cities.

“There’s also flexibility in balancing our national and local sourced menus. And don’t forget, that there is always our 30 years of knowledge, experience and data to fall back on.”

The time is right

Today, the Columbus Coffee franchise is still owned by its hands-on founders. And its coffee is still roasted in Auckland, resulting in the freshest, highest quality product. What better time could there be to step up to the plate and start brewing a fresh future full of positive prospects for yourself? 

See this advertorial on page 55 of Franchise New Zealand magazine Year 33 Issue 04 

Contact details for Columbus Coffee

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