MILAN – A new acquisition for the Caffè Nero Group: the sixth since 2016 and the second in a matter of weeks. The family-owned group, founded by Gerry Ford, has completed the purchase of FCB Coffee, a small chain of coffee shops founded in 1998 and based in London.
FCB Coffee currently has 11 locations in travel hubs across London and the South East. With this acquisition, the Caffè Nero Group aims to bolster its presence in the travel and transport business.
The group will now have more than 50 outlets in train and underground transport hubs in the United Kingdom.
FCB Coffee opened its first kiosk site in 1998 with an aim to bring great quality coffee, as quickly as possible to commuters.
The company is fully committed to reducing their impact on the environment. During 2018, they changed all their takeaway cups and lids to compostable material.
By doing FCB Coffee removed almost 3 tonnes of carbon from their annual footprint, almost the equivalent of 20 flights from London to Rome, according to the company’s website.
The Nero Group Founder and CEO Gerry Ford commented: “I’m very pleased to bring FCB into our Group. Its stores offer commuters in transport locations very high quality coffee.
This is part of our strategy to provide customers with premium coffee no matter where they might be. As the coffee market develops, we continue to be focussed on the premium, specialty coffee category.”
The Nero Group, which owns the Caffè Nero, Coffee #1, Harris+Hoole and Aroma brands, has a total of 790 outlets in the UK.
Last month it also acquired the business of 200 Degrees Coffee, a Nottingham-based chain with 21 shops in cities including Manchester, Leeds, Leicester, Cardiff, Derby and Liverpool, and its own roastery.
