In another boost for Carmarthen’s burgeoning shopping and leisure facilities, one of the UK’s largest and fastest growing independent coffee retailers, Caffè Nero has opened a 2,000 sq ft coffee shop in Dark Gate, close to the traditional shopping centre of Merlins Walk. The deal was brokered by Cooke & Arkwright on behalf of the F&C REIT; Macarthur Wilson acted for Caffè Nero.
Ten new jobs have been created locally and the employees have been fully trained as Baristas at Caffè Nero’s London headquarters. The company says that over 80% of its store managers started out as Baristas and with ambitious growth plans to open 45 to 50 stores each year in the UK, there is plenty of opportunity for the new staff to develop their careers.
Huw Thomas, director of Cooke & Arkwright’s Retail Agency said, “This is one of the best locations in Carmarthen at the junction between Red Street, Dark Gate and Guildhall Square, and just a brief walk from the new shopping centre at St Catherine’s Walk. This is an attractive occupier which will help draw people to this part of town and we believe its presence will be beneficial to this block of shops, which we deal with on behalf of the landlord. Caffè Nero opened at the beginning of May and I understand they are delighted with trading so far.”
Guy Mauduit, property consultant for Caffè Nero said that they had been looking for a suitable location in Carmarthen for some time. “This is the furthest west in Wales that Caffè Nero has opened to-date,” he said. “We have been looking seriously in the area for the last two to three years and this location is very good. It’s a prominent corner in the middle of the traditional town centre. It also presented a great opportunity for outside seating due to the covered walkway on two sides. As a regular visitor to the Pembrokeshire coast I am delighted that we now have a branch in the area. Business in the first few weeks has exceeded expectations, although we had always considered Carmarthen to be a town with great potential for us.”
Caffè Nero currently has around 500 stores across the UK, including Cardiff, with a branch shortly to open next to Waitrose in the market town of Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan. Founded by Gerry Ford in London in 1997, the company operates a continental, European style coffee house and has been voted No 1 coffee company in the UK for nine of the last ten years (Allegra Strategies).