Digital cafe launched with £90k EFG backing

TWO entrepreneurs have teamed up with photography giant Kodak to launch a digital cafe in the Trafford Centre.

Alison Everett and Alan Robson have secured a £90,000 government-backed enterprise finance guarantee (EFG) loan from NatWest to help fund the venture which they have been developing for more than three years,

The duo, which own marketing agency Russiandoll, won Kodak’s backing after presenting their ideas to the group’s executive board.  

The Kodak Express Print Café is situated on the first floor of the Trafford Centre and provides shoppers with the opportunity to share and print their digital photographs while enjoying a coffee.

 Alison and Alan are confident their Print Café concept will give them an edge over the other retail digital printing services & coffee outlets and have ambitious plans to expand the concept into other high-profile shopping centres in the UK and Ireland once they are fully established in Manchester.

Alan said: “The digital revolution demanded changes in underlying technology but it also rewrote photography sociology, in other words we believe the giant photography manufacturers have failed to transition from a manufacturing brand into an effective retail brand and this is the opportunity we identified.

“We believe the Kodak Express Print Café will inspire people to print more and do more with their digital photographs – our long-term aim is to create a new printing culture.”

NatWest provided funding cover the start up costs including the fit out costs for the cafe. 

Relationship Manager Stephen Hogg, said: “Alison and Alan impressed us with their vision for the print café and the thoroughness of their business plan.  They have worked extremely hard to establish a partnership with Kodak and we are very happy to provide financial support for this venture.”