By Jayne Munday | November 2, 2009Another milestone was added to
The Coffee Club history books today, with industry guests gathering at the first ever store on Brisbane’s Eagle Street Pier to celebrate its 20th birthday.
The anniversary festivities come as the Queensland-born business unveils plans to tackle further international markets, including China and Dubai.
Now boasting 250 stores Australia-wide, 25 in New Zealand and three in Thailand, the Coffee Club first opened its doors in November 1989 as the brainchild of founders Emmanuel Drivas (pictured left) and Emmanuel Kokoris (middle).
The ‘Emmanuels’ - as they are collectively known - had the simple vision to provide good food, great service and excellent coffee to Brisbane consumers.
Nestled amid trendy city restaurants and bars along Eagle Street Pier, the original Coffee Club building has undergone multiple refurbishments and up-sizing over the years.
Capitalising on its success, the single location soon grew to six stores in Brisbane and one on the Gold Coast by 1994 as co-director John Lazarou (pictured right) joined the team.
Addressing attendees against the backdrop of the Brisbane River, Lazarou explained how a humble family-focused business became the booming franchise it is today.
“My partners, the Emmanuel’s, are completely responsible for the Coffee Club as we know it today. But they couldn’t have done it alone. They were wise enough to surround themselves with loyal suppliers, customers and staff,” he says.
“Our aim was to provide good food, great service and excellent coffee to the Brisbane public … from this and a few other locations within the Brisbane and metro area. Our brand was becoming a hit.”
Seen as an innovative and profitable concept taking-off in the Queensland market, the Emmanuel’s were continually asked if there were franchises available.
“So by public demand the Coffee Club franchising was born, and the rest is history,” Lazarou says.
The Coffee Club currently employ over 6,000 staff Australia-wide, with 34 new franchises opened in the last year alone.
Generating more than $260 million revenue in 2008/09, total store sales have increased 244 percent over the past five years.
Lazarou says cracking the China and Dubai markets will be similar to The Coffee Club’s Thailand debut, which saw the first store opened in April this year.
“We’re in talks with master franchisees that are interested in taking the brand to Dubai as well as China. But as far as adapting menus we haven’t even got that far,” Lazarou says.
“It took two maybe two and a half years to get the Thailand master franchise running from initial discussions, so I imagine Dubai and China will be the same. These things take time; it’s not just a matter of opening the doors,” he says.
Faced with the prospect of further international expansion at a time when many businesses are cutting back, Lazarou admits it is the essence of family that has allowed the business to boom.
“Greeks do hospitality well. We have instilled a philosophy in our staff to treat our customers as they would treat them in their own homes, so The Coffee Club experience has become more than just a coffee and a meal. It’s something we’re particularly proud of after all these years,” he says.
“Our biggest success has undoubtedly been our staff. We’ve watched many join at a store level and go on to be a manager or even own their own franchise. It’s humbling to know that our people love the company and the brand as much as we do.”
While today marks a successful 20 years for The Coffee Club, another 20 is expected to deliver even greater rewards.
“I have said that my dream is to land at any country in the world and just be greeted with a Coffee Club outlet,” Lazarou says.