The dog-friendly coffee shop concept will use the Development Bank of Wales investment to scale its nine-store presence across Wales and the Southwest of England
Coffi Lab was launched in 2021 by Coffee#1 founder James Shapland | Photo credit: Coffi Lab
Dog-friendly coffee shop concept Coffi Lab has received £1.7m ($2.5m) investment from the Development Bank of Wales to scale its store network.
Launched in 2021 by Coffee#1 founder James Shapland, Coffi Lab currently operates nine stores across Wales and the Southwest of England with a tenth site set to open in Bristol in January 2025.
“We have invested heavily in our infrastructure to aid smooth and efficient growth. Last year we opened our Coff Lab Roastery and Bakery as well as a central kitchen which has enabled us to deliver seasonal menus and develop relationships with wonderful producers across Wales. The investment we’ve had from the Development Bank of Wales means we’ll be able to leverage our investment, speeding up our roll out to bring our Labs to even more communities across Wales and beyond,” Shapland said.
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Taking its namesake from the Welsh word for ‘coffee’ and an abbreviation of ‘Labrador’, Coffi Lab opened its first store in July 2021 in the Welsh town of Monmouth. The business donates all gross revenues from the first day of any new outlet to the Guide Dogs UK charity.
The Development Bank of Wales, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Welsh Government, has previously invested in Welsh coffee companies Ground Bakery, Coffi Co and Quantum Coffee Roasters.