Jobs boost as Optimum grows Costa Coffee franchise
A LIVERPOOL company, which runs coffee shops under the Costa brand, has expanded after investing £1m in three new outlets.
Optimum Group, which as well as coffee shops supplies vending machines, office water coolers and also home intruder alarms and CCTV, was supported in its growth plans by Yorkshire Bank.
The expansion will create 50 jobs taking Optimum Coffee’s headcount to 240. It is expected to increase turnover by £1m to £7m.
Its new Costa outlets, in the St Paul’s Square and Allerton areas of Liverpool, and Sale in Greater Manchester, are operated under franchise from Whitbread.
The new openings means Optimum now has 17 Costa stores across the region and is looking for more sites.
Optimum Coffee Group managing director, Mark Bryan, said: “Our strategic objective is to become the country’s largest Costa Coffee franchisee in the next five years.
“Our group has seen total sales increase by 28% in 2012/13 due to organic growth, and we are confident in our strategy to take the business to even higher levels.”
Optimum was founded 15 years ago and has been a Costa franchisee for seven years.
Mike Scott, relationship manager at Yorkshire Bank’s business and private banking centre in Liverpool, said: “Optimum is an ambitious business that is recording impressive growth under highly capable leadership.
“The branded coffee retail sector continues to present significant opportunities for further profitable growth and the bank was keen to help Optimum take another major step along the route to sustainable expansion.”
As well as its Costa franchise, Optimum runs franchised fitness club Energie, vending operator Merseyvend, and security protection systems business Optimum Alarms & CCTV.
