City centre coffee shop with a difference
At first glance, the coffee shop on Market Street, Manchester, looks like any other of its ilk with the bank of shiny coffee machines, array of pastries and fruit.
But it’s not like any other seller of hot drinks in the region. Primarily, because it is sited in a Lloyds Bank, which is offering free wi-fi and phone charging for customers to attract a new generation to bank there.
The coffee’s supplied by the independent Ancoats Coffee Company and is designed to become a meeting place for customers, businesses and community groups to network while they bank.
It will also be open seven days a week.
The rest of the branch won’t look like a typical bank, either. Set over two floors, the coffee shop is by the entrance.
The banking hall is also on the ground floor with a separate digital zone with big screens and tablets for customers to use internet banking, with experts on hand to help.
Upstairs, there are meeting rooms for appointments in a new business hub with charging points for phones and laptops, where people can work, even if they’re not customers.
James Hargreaves, local director for Manchester at the bank, said they are combining the human touch and face-to-face expertise with new technology.
He said: “Manchester was chosen because it has a vibrant economy, a strong retail centre and a thriving business and entrepreneurial community.”
The new flagship branch is the first to open and the group’s considering opening a small number of others under the Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland brands.
