Blank Street Coffee plans to open a total of two dozen sites in the UK this year, and remains “laser-focused” on expanding in London, UK MD Ignacio Llado Alvarez-Salas tells MCA.
The New York City-born specialty coffee concept will open four stores in the capital this month, on the Strand, Clapham Junction, Ludgate, and Waterloo station. It will also begin offering delivery by the end of the month, according to Alvarez-Salas.
Co-founders Issam Freiha and Vinay Menda launched the concept in New York in 2020 and grew it more than 40 locations in the US. They opened its first UK sites in London’s Fitzrovia and Shoreditch last month after raising $25m in a series A funding round in October 2021, following a $7m seed round.
“Since landing in London, we’ve seen very high-level ramp metrics, with our first stores more than doubling in sales in the first month since our launch,” Alvarez-Salas says. “We plan to follow this up with a number of ideal locations in key neighbourhoods across London.”
The concept – which opened its first location as a 10 sq ft electric cart in Brooklyn – will continue to cater to consumers looking for coffee on the go. The small format cafes allow investment in quality while keeping a competitive price point for the specialty coffee offering.
Blank Street was will maintain competitive pricing – at £3 or under for a small coffee – as “it was born from the idea that great coffee should not come at a premium,” Alvarez-Salas says.
“Operating in small format locations is part of the Blank Street DNA and something the brand is still focused on,” he adds. “That said, we know that the optimal size of a store also needs to have room to grow with new offerings.
“We went from 50-100 sq ft carts to 400-500 sq ft retail space in order to accommodate both larger counter space and test new equipment. We are now excited to test new offerings, from blended drinks to takeaway food.”
The brand will also retain its focus on technology, a key aspect of increasing convenience for consumers looking for on-the-go coffee. Consumers will soon be able to order delivery through the Blank Street app, while the ‘bean to cup’ espresso machines allow for speed and consistency.
For its London launch, Blank Street partnered with specialty coffee roaster Origin and is working on introducing new menu options for the UK market, where bestsellers include the flat white and UK-only pistachio latte, as opposed to cold brew and filter coffee in the US.
“As we’ve continued to learn more about consumer preferences in London, we quickly realised it was important that we have a sandwich option,” Alvarez-Salas says. “We are currently experimenting with Ham & Brie and Pistachio Cream focaccia sandwiches at select locations.
“The market dynamics and consumer demand in London are very similar to NYC with the strongest consumers in the UK making approximately 4 trips per week on out-of-home coffee.
“Similar to New York, we will bridge the gap between quality and cost - offering consistently high-quality coffee and food that is affordable and highly convenient.”
