A second coffee shop chain is preparing to open a branch in Alderley Edge.
Caffè Nero has confirmed they are taking the lease at 38 London Road, which until recently was occupied by The Wedding Shop, and hope to open in seven or eight weeks time.
A Caffè Nero spokesperson said "We can confirm that we have identified a site in Alderley Edge and are hoping to open our first coffee house there at the beginning of May. The café will employ roughly 8-10 staff who will be trained as baristas in store, making a selection of our espresso-based drinks.
"Since we opened our first café in 1997, Caffè Nero has been dedicated to two things: creating the very finest handcrafted Italian coffee and providing a warm and relaxing neighbourhood atmosphere in which to enjoy it. We are looking forward to being part of the community in Alderley Edge."
We understand that 38 London Road currently has an A1 licence (shops) so Caffè Nero will need to submit a planning application for change of use to A3 consent (restaurants and cafes) to legally sell food and drink for consumption on the premises.
Caffè Nero opens one new store a week and now has over 600 stores globally, employing more than 4,000 staff. Earlier this month the London-based company announced plans to open their first American shop in Boston.
What do you think about Caffè Nero opening in the village? Share your views via the comment box below.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
As for myself, I am a loyal village cafe customer and very disappointed to see such a large coffee shop chain muscling in right next door to a thriving business run by local people. If the premises holds a licence to sell food and drink then the village cafe should be given the option to expand next door, (which I believe is something they have enquired about and shown an interest in)
I know for a fact that this would be welcomed by most people in the village. After all, is it not the villagers opinions that count most?
In my opinion, based on the similarities, the competition would be between Costa and Nero.
I did try to support the Village Cafe - I went in twice and once they had no skimmed milk so couldn't make a skinny cappuccino (and didn't offer to get some to do so) and the other time I went in, put my coat and bag at a table and went to the counter only to be told they were closed - though nobody thought to tell me that as I came in, even though I looked at and smiled at the staff member in question before I went over to the table.
I agree with most comments that Costa will be the main competition, they won’t be going after the independents, they will be using the village as a "brand awareness" exercise, they won’t be looking to make huge profits and will want you to have brand recognition when you are away from home and choose to use them then. It’s a regular practice for low cost start up and high margin business models. I also predict that 5 or 6 weeks after it opens both Costa and Nero’s will be full and the independents won’t see any change to their trade.
The Village cafe is so busy anyway, it's difficult to get a table there and far too noisy when it's busy so Nero's can take their overflow! The more choice for the consumer the better!!
Having said all that, it would have been nice to see the village cafe expand into the premises :-)
Very rarely do you not queue up or find an empty seat in both the village café or costa. And let’s not forget our weekend cyclists who descend in their masses…good on them. It might just sharpen up Costa who as of late could do with a sense or urgency.
I find great parallels between Alderley Edge and Esher in Surrey. Both have very similar demographics and would be considered “footballer country”. Esher high street is charity shops, coffee bars, estate agents and restaurants / wine bars; hardly any fashion, general retail or independent practical business.
Instead of lamenting the loss of dead end pubs and “cash only” butchers we should look to what has become of other high streets around the country and to some extent accept our fate. I find it hard to believe I’m writing this but maybe Councillor Kegan is correct in that we should embrace the inevitable and prepare accordingly (just not by paving over the allotments).
A Cafe Nero is far better than an empty shop - I can't even remember exactly how long has the shop on the corner of Stevens Street been empty??? It's a VERY long time, empty shop units are the bane of every high street in the country...
Coffee chain Caffe Nero hasn't paid a penny in corporation tax despite £100MILLION in profits since 2007
http://dailym.ai/PUrmXn
Will anyone take a moral stance on this?