High street coffee bar franchise Coffee Republic has initiated a move to refresh the coffee bar chain's image on the high street. The company, which was bought out of administration in August 2009, has appointed architecture and design studio Conran & Partners to create the fresh image.

"We are not talking about re-branding the company, we simply want to broaden the appeal of the brand and enhance everything that is good about it," said Coffee Republic Chief Executive Tariq Affara. "Coffee Republic is still about providing the best genuine Italian roasted coffee in the market. Coffee connoisseurs get it already, now we are reaching out to a wider market and make our bars even more attractive to spend time in. Conran & Partners is known for marrying cool design with commercial success for its customers and we are looking forward to working with them to propel Coffee Republic into its next phase of growth."

Paul Zara of Conran & Partners added: "Design quality is sorely lacking in the other high street coffee shops. We are looking at a central London flagship site to test the concept, then we hope to roll it out around the UK and abroad."

The image refresh is part of a turnaround strategy which will see a further 20 franchised and company-owned coffee bars opened in major towns across the UK in the next 12 months. "Coffee Republic is an exceptionally strong brand in a fiercely competitive and exciting marketplace," said Head of Operations David Reynolds. "We have introduced a new management structure to the business and, at a time when coffee brands are becoming increasingly homogeneous, we are focusing on rolling out the best customer experience with the best quality coffee. We are confident that with careful management and further investment in the brand we will see Coffee Republic go from strength to strength."

Published: 18 November 2009

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