Two Stars; No Sense

One way of putting your customers off!    As yet, you don't have to put the score on your door.

Macaroons on steroids

Seen at Peter Jones' rooftop cafe on Sloane Square: whoopie size (i.e. large) macaroons at £2.60 a pop.

John Lewis have redone the servery but its design is how not to do it. Check out the number of coffee machines and how you can pay for a main course and not even see the cakes. Great company but off the pace in terms of great cafes.

Kastner & Ovens - Keeping it Simple

Simple and inexpensive cake presentation on standard mobile stainless steel shelving units at Kastner & Ovens' new unit in Spitalfields.  Great name for a bakery retail unit.

Lolly Cake

Cake on a stick - colourful, fun and not seen elsewhere.....yet.  Not the easiest to eat but typical of the innovation seen in the cut-throat coffee bar business.  Well done Starbucks with their 'Petites'.

As part of our popular London Cafe Tours we always visit the majors and caterers are often the worst at knowing what's new in the market.


Good to Great Cafes - chris.brown@turpinsmale.co.uk

POD - one to watch

Nine City of London locations, growing fast and voted Independant Retailer of the Year 2010-11.
http://www.podfood.co.uk/index.php

Their tag line is: Fresh, seasonal, healthy food in compostable packaging.  You can't argue with that.  Lots of green/sustainable/simple ideas:

How they fit out the place











Recycling station















Good to Great Cafes - chris.brown@turpinsmale.co.uk

Timed and undated

We are well used to truly fresh sandwiches and the horror of the dated (i.e. potentially yesterday's) lunchtime favourite.  Benugo put the time of preparation - smart.

Good to Great Cafes - chris.brown@turpinsmale.co.uk

Popcorn and not just at the movies

Pret has had it for a while - popcorn that is - and it has now moved mainstream.  Low cost, high margin, healthy (oh yeah) and popular.  A rival to the kettle chip.   Metcalfe's popcorn spotted at Maidenhead station in a Puccino's unit -  a wonderful example of a compact take-away servery.