Blank Street Coffee UK managing director Ignacio Llado has said that the brand’s main strategy is to “bring the fun and energy back” to the coffee market.
In an interview with City A.M he said that Blank Street is on track to reach profitability in London next year.
It comes after the brand closed a $20m funding round to scale its beverage subscription service and boost its F&B range in the US.
“The general coffee chain in London was dark, sometimes gloomy and too tired”, Llado told the publication.
The New York-founded specialty coffee concept has grown to 40+ US locations since launching in 2020. It made its UK debut in June 2022 and has since opened 24 sites in London.
“We are designing this brand, to be a daily ritual, not just to be a casual treat. We have raised the bar for the last few years. Our main strategy is; let’s bring the fun and energy back.”
With a cheaper price point that many of its competitors, Llado added that he was keen not to be seen as simply the budget option.
“Affordable comes with the connotation that it’s cheap, and cheap comes when the connotation is low quality, and that we want to make sure it’s not the case,” he said.
Competitive prices are made possible by the use of smaller locations of about 300 to 600 sq ft, he told the publication.
“We are able to optimise some part of the cost structure and transport that value back to the consumer,” he said.
The company is looking at bringing its loyalty service tothe UK in the future, but is not considering the introduction of electronic ordering screens.
Llado said, “We want to make an experience that’s two to three minutes long, still meaningful,”
