Beatons, the combined tearoom and bookshop franchise, is gearing up its expansion programme with two forthcoming openings, and an aim of 25 overall, MCA has learnt.
The four-strong traditional table service tearoom is opening two new sites this autumn, in Petersfield and New Milton, as well as a further site in the North of England.
Founder and chief executive Patrick Duffy told MCA the concept was attractive due to its focus on loose leaf tea rather than coffee, its literature and poetry inspired brand, and its traditional service style.
He said: “We are a franchised concept, and we’re always looking top expand further.
“We don’t want to go too quickly, but we’re aiming for 25 sites or so over the next few years
“It won’t be 100s of sites, we put a huge amount store in the quality of service, and making sure we get it right every time, we will look to do around five a year going forward.”
Beaton, which is inspired by royal photographer and costume designer Sir Cecil Beaton, hosts local author book signings and poetry events.
It serves a range of loose-leaf teas, regional coffee blends, home-made cakes and light food served in Villeroy and Boch china.
Duffy said the books added a point of difference rather than a significant revenue stream.
He said: “The books are something the customers love us doing and helps as connect with them. It adds to their overall experience, with the option of browsing and buying books.
“We’ve seen the book industry’s decline and then its revival, and for it’s about being physical – coming to the tearoom, picking up a book and buying it - people still want to do that.
“But we are predominantly a tearoom with a small bookshop, and with that we differ from others that have tacked a coffee shop onto a book shop.”
Duffy added with all the focus on coffee growth, there was potential for an English tearoom with traditional service style.
He added: “We serve good coffee, but for us it’s all about the tea side - not just the product but the service that goes with it, with waiting staff serving the tables.
“It’s a proper tearoom where people enjoy sending time. In some ways its going back to the way things used to be but it’s also done in a contemporary style, and that’s what people seem to like.”
