Liverpool-based GSG Hospitality is planning to expand its Bold Street Coffee concept beyond its existing three outlets as the casual dining-led hospitality group seeks a greater role for its thriving café business
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Bold Street Coffee will open a second Manchester store in September 2022 | Photo credit: Bold Street Coffee
GSG Hospitality will invest in the expansion of its Liverpool and Manchester-based Bold Street Coffee concept as the cafe concept outperforms its casual dining brands.
The hospitality group currently operates seven fast casual concepts – American-style diner Slim’s, bar and hot dog chain Salt Dog Slims, cocktail bars 81 and Santa Chupitos, Mexican bar El Bandito, Duke Street Food & Drink Market, and sports bar Peppercat Sports.
Bold Street Coffee, which has two outlets in Liverpool and one in Manchester, is reported to be among the group’s most profitable ventures and is set to be GSG’s first concept to expand outside the UK’s North-West.
The specialty coffee chain, which will also open a second Manchester store at the University of Manchester’s University Green in September 2022, is said to be targeting new UK locations in Leeds and Birmingham.
Discussing the upcoming second Manchester site, Matt Farrell, Director of Bold Street Coffee, said: “We are pleased at GSG to be adding extra roots in the Manchester food and drink scene with more to follow later in the year. After such a difficult few years, there is an air of expectation around and I think this marks the start of an exciting time for the city, speciality coffee and northern hospitality.”
GSG Hospitality recently closed its Slim’s diner in Liverpool, reflecting wider industry concerns on the viability of fast dining brands given the cost pressures currently facing the hospitality industry.
Recent research indicates that only 37% of hospitality businesses in the UK are currently turning a profit, with the rising costs of energy, goods and labour prompting businesses to adopt shorter operating hours or focus on other, more profitable, business areas.
Although coffee chains are not immune to the challenges, past periods of financial instability have shown that consumers prefer to curtail spending in other areas, thus limiting the impact for the branded coffee chain market.