UK’s independent coffee shop industry flourishing

The UK’s independent coffee shop sector is flourishing with almost a third (31.1%) of business owners reporting to have seen a turnover improvement of 20% or more, according to a survey by the Caffè Culture Show.

Nine in ten (92.3%) coffee shop owners expect their growth to continue in 2016, while a quarter (24.7%) are confident that they will perform at least 20% better than the previous year.

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Nearly a quarter (24.6%) of independent coffee shops reported an average turnover of over £200,000 per outlet in 2015, with coffee sales being the biggest growth area for independent coffee shop owners in 2015 (50.5%), followed by lunch (41.9%), and breakfast (26.8%).

When asked to predict the biggest consumer trends of 2016, the small business owners surveyed overwhelmingly pointed to the rising demand for healthier food and drink options.

Caffè Culture Show event director, Cheryl Carroll, said:

“Growing demand for healthy food and drink options is a trend we’re definitely seeing reflected at the Caffè Culture Show with an increasing number of low fat, low sugar, gluten and allergen-free ranges on offer.”

For more information on starting your own coffee shop, read our 5 simple steps guide.