Coffee cart converters on a roll
EXPANSION by a coffee cart conversion specialist is paying off after becoming the number one converter of Italian three wheeled favourite the Piaggio Ape in the UK.
Hull-based Thebigcoffee.com was founded in 2006 by coffee and Italian culture lovers Rob Dixon and Jason O’Neil after spotting a gap in the market for ‘pocket sized’ mobile coffee carts.
The concept quickly proved a success and earlier this year the firm moved into bigger premises and teamed up with famous Italian coffee brand Lavazza.
More than 50 carts have been converted so far and the firm is on target to deliver another 25 before the end of the year.
Orders are also been taken from overseas with many carts already exported to Denmark, Sweden and Ireland.
“2009 has seen the business move into a bigger factory, team up with Lavazza and become number one converters of the Ape in the UK,” said Mr Dixon.
“Exporting to Europe has been a huge learning curve but proved a great opportunity for our business to expand. We had a lot of help at the beginning with funding and grants from Yorkshire Forward and local initiatives. We are so proud of where we have come and what you can achieve with a can do attitude.”
The business, which currently employs seven staff, was originally founded after cafe owner Mr Dixon was looking for a way to expand his existing business.
He hit upon the idea of a coffee cart but found buying something suitable problematic.
A visit to Italy confirmed that the Piaggio Ape was the ideal solution but yet again sourcing one and getting it converted proved a challenge.
It was then that Mr Dixon and Mr O’Neil – a former senior manager with Piaggio and one of Mr Dixon’s customers – decided to set up the coffee cart conversion business.
