Coffee Gift Ideas For Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and what better way to express your love for your coffee-loving partner than with a thoughtful coffee-themed gift?

Whether they're a connoisseur of cappuccinos or a fan of flavoured lattes, we've curated a list of the best coffee-related Valentine's Day gifts that are sure to brew up some love!

Personalised coffee mug.

Start their day with a smile by gifting them a personalised coffee mug. You can customise it with a sweet message, their name or even a memorable date. Every sip they take will remind them of your love - as well as their love for coffee! 

Check out sites like Etsy for a variety of customizable options.

Coffee-infused chocolate.

Combine two beloved indulgences into one delightful gift by giving your partner some coffee-infused chocolate. Whether it's espresso-flavoured truffles or mocha chocolate bars, these treats are sure to satisfy their sweet tooth and their coffee cravings! 

There are plenty of options available online but this Friars Selection Box gets the nod from us for the sheer range of treats it contains!

French Press.

Elevate their coffee brewing experience with a high-quality French press. This classic brewing method will allow them to savour the full flavour and aroma of their favourite coffee beans. Depending on their interior design choices, you can safely opt for either a sleek stainless steel design or a traditional glass model.

French presses are easy to pick up online or in stores but we really like this stainless steel model from Kichly - it comes with a 3 level filtration system, offers good value for money and looks the business! 

Coffee Art Print.

Add a touch of caffeinated charm to their home decor with a coffee-themed art print. Whether it's a minimalist coffee cup illustration or a vibrant coffee shop scene, art prints are a stylish way to celebrate their love for coffee. 

We're big fans of this simple 'cafe' design but a simple Google search will yield literally thousands of results for you to choose between!

A prepaid Cafe2U card.

If your partner is a Cafe2U customer, why not pick up the tab for their next few visits with one of our gift cards? When you prepay for five, they'll get the sixth completely free and it'll mocha their day!

Get in touch with your nearest Cafe2U barista here to find out more.

Happy Valentine's Day from Cafe2U!

This Valentine's Day, show your partner how much you care with a coffee-related gift that speaks to their passion for all things caffeinated. Cheers to love and great coffee!

How To Get Your Franchise Summer Ready

As the temperature rises and the days get longer, now is the perfect time for Cafe2U franchisees to gear up for a successful summer season. With people craving refreshing and energising beverages, this is the perfect opportunity to attract new customers and boost your sales. In this blog, we'll explore some essential tips and strategies to ensure your franchise is ready to thrive during the summer months.

Give your menu a summer twist

To cater to the summer crowd, it's important to introduce new and enticing offerings like iced coffees and frappés to your menu. Experiment with seasonal flavours, like strawberry, and don't forget to offer non-dairy milk alternatives to cater to a wider range of dietary preferences.

Invest in equipment and supplies

Ensure your van is equipped with the necessary tools to handle the increased demand for chilled drinks. Stocking up on cups, straws, napkins, and any other supplies you'll need to serve your customers efficiently during busy summer days is a must!

Enhance your outdoor setup

Make your van a destination for people seeking respite from the heat. Create an inviting and comfortable outdoor seating area with umbrellas or awnings to provide shade. Set up some tables, chairs and cosy seating options to encourage customers to relax and enjoy their drinks, as well as to attract passers-by.

Embrace social media

Leverage the power of social media platforms to promote your franchise during the summer. Share enticing photos and videos of your seasonal offerings and engaging content that resonates with your target audience. Run contests and offer special discounts or giveaways exclusively for your online followers to increase your online presence and drive foot-fall to your business.

Collaborate with local events and businesses

Summer is the season for festivals, concerts and outdoor gatherings, so why not partner with local event organisers or nearby businesses to establish collaborations? Not only will this increase your visibility, it will also provide an opportunity to connect with a broader customer base.

Offer mobile ordering

To cater to customers who demand convenience above anything else and help you tap into new markets, be sure to make the most of the mobile ordering options that are available through the Cafe2U app and online platform.

Here's to another successful summer!

Preparing your franchise for summer requires a combination of thoughtful planning and creativity but, by keeping your focus on providing exceptional customer experiences and staying ahead of the competition, there's no reason your mobile coffee business can't thrive over the splendid summer months ahead.

Cafe2U Conference 2023

Our favourite event of the year took place last weekend - the annual Cafe2U conference!

Held in the wonderful surroundings of Wyboston Lakes in Bedford, the theme of this year's conference was 'The Seven Habits Of A Successful Franchisee' and saw members of the Cafe2U management team delivering presentations and workshops to the 60+ franchisees in attendance to help ensure they have another successful year in 2023.

The seven aforementioned habits are:

• Be proactive

• Begin with the end in mind (have long-term vision)

• Put first things first

• Think win-win (mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers)

• Seek first to understand, then to be understood (inc social media)

• Synergise (creative cooperation)

• Sharpen the saw (practise, practise, practise)

Kicking off with an introductory speech from Franchise Development Manager Nick Sara and an overview of the UK coffee market from CEO Martyn Ward, Head of Coffee Standards Callum Ellis then gave a presentation about coffee quality and its importance to franchisees and customers.

A series of workshops were held in the afternoon and covered topics including the importance of forging strong relationships with suppliers, getting the most out of social media and how to improve your coffee making skills. Representing an invaluable opportunity for our franchisees to expand upon their already impressive knowledge, the workshops went down a storm, with every session getting a great turnout.

Concluding the day's work was a Q&A session with CEO Martyn and the Franchise Development Management team which gave the franchisees the opportunity to ask any questions that came to mind, and for the presenters to answer questions that had been submitted earlier in the day via a question box located on site.

As evening fell, it was time for dinner and an awards ceremony, as attention switched firmly from work to play. With amazing food to enjoy, awards up for grabs - including the coveted Franchise Partner of The Year award, which was picked up by Amanda and Steve Lawrence, who operate in Braintree - and four-piece rock band Twist of Rock providing the tunes, our franchisees had a great time celebrating and dancing the night away.

CEO Martyn Ward said: "As ever, the annual Cafe2U conference was a great success. As well as celebrating both the franchisees' and the business' achievements in 2022 - which was our best year ever for both sales and sales growth - the conference was also a great opportunity for the senior management team to share some knowledge and advice with the franchisees to help them succeed again in 2023.

"And, of course, it was also an excellent excuse to get together for a bit of fun and a few drinks, with many franchisees finally getting the chance to meet face-to-face for the first time ever! Needless to say, we're already counting the days until next year's event!"

Cafe2U Conference 2022: Our Roundup

On Saturday, January 15th, we outlined our plans for 2022 at Cafe2U’s annual conference at The Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare.

The conference was attended by more than 60 of our 90 franchisees, as well as business partners and suppliers, including food products specialist Devonvale and van fit-out masters Dack Motor Group. It began with a speech by our CEO, Martyn Ward, in which he laid out the business' aims for the coming months.

“We are focussing on reconnecting, re-energising and having fun!”

He said: "Since we last met at our conference in February 2020, a lot has happened. When I stood in front of you in London that day, none of us knew what was about to come in the days and months ahead. But here we are, in what for many is still a very challenging time. 

“Firstly, looking around the room, the biggest thing that strikes me is the sheer number of winners we have here, those who have faced adversity and challenges of their own and worked hard to ensure that their business remains ready to serve as we start 2022. And that’s why there won’t be a single powerpoint presentation in sight today. We are focussing on reconnecting, re-energising and having fun! So speak to your suppliers, talk to other members of the team and, of course, network with fellow franchise partners, but most of all enjoy yourself!"

In the afternoon, attendees had the opportunity to experience one of our new all-electric, totally emissions-free coffee vans. The electric vans are the first of their kind anywhere in the world and are a testament to Cafe2U’s sustainable approach to business, which we intend to expand upon in 2022 and beyond.

There were also a number of sessions available for franchisees to attend with the Cafe2U head office team, ranging from accounting to barista skills and marketing. Franchisees also had the opportunity to speak to the company's suppliers about new vans, new products, new revenue streams and financial services.

“We firmly believe we have everything in place to ensure that  2022 is our best year ever!”

However, the main focus was on ensuring our franchise partners had fun, with many of them heading to the Pier’s arcade armed with bags of 2ps that were provided in their welcome packs. There was even a Fastest Barista competition with a twist, with attendees going head to head in a virtual F1 simulator battle!

The conference climaxed with an awards ceremony, which saw prizes handed out to the companies rising stars, best baristas, best new franchisees and most improved performers, before concluding with the Franchise Partner of the Year award, which was claimed by Eric Draper, a franchisee based in Manchester South West. Draper was commended for the record breaking sales he had consistently achieved.

Summing up the day, Ward concluded: "Our 2022 conference has given our franchisees and partners the opportunity to understand our ambitious plans and we're delighted to have their support going into the new year. We firmly believe we have everything in place to ensure that  2022 is our best year ever and continue to make ourselves one of the most popular choices for people looking for franchise investment opportunities this year and beyond."