Creams Cafe’s recent expansion drive will see it aim for 300 stores in the UK over the next five years, according to CEO Everett Fieldgate.
Earlier this year, the dessert cafe brand signed a national franchise agreement with Tesco, after confirming the first kiosk sites to open under a new partnership with Park Garage Group.
“It’s almost a new store type for us, with a much smaller footprint, in areas where we otherwise would not be able to place a commercial store”, he tells MCA.
From its beginnings in Southall, West London, the brand now operates circa 100 stores across the UK offering signature Creams gelato with ingredients sourced straight from Italy.
After an initial company-owned cafe in Tesco Extra Streatham, Creams has now opened its first kiosks owned and operated by Tesco, in Gateshead and Maryhill, Glasgow and last week opened in Tesco Cheshunt, operated by a separate franchisee.
“I think by operating three different types of store in the Tesco environment, what we’re able to do is pick and choose what is the best operating environment.”
Fieldgate describes being in the “trial” stage of the strategic partnership.
“Every day we get more learnings about how to operate it, because it’s not a High Street store.”
One of these learnings is driving the early morning day part, not a traditional operating period for the dessert parlour.
“I think that we will see some changes in the coming weeks and months” he says, asking “how do we set it up for maximum impact for both of us?”
Speaking on the potential of other future strategic partnerships, Fieldgate remains tight-lipped.
“We’ve listed and identified those types of partners that we would love to work with, and we are in contact.
He adds, “there are many different channels, types of operators that this business would work incredibly well with.
“What I value is very strong partner relationships” he says. ”I would not be talking to anybody that’s going to put the existing partnerships in jeopardy in any way whatsoever.”
“The decision on who you partner with is the single most important decision that we can make as a brand, and the strength of that partnership is the difference between a long-term success and a flash in the pan”
“We have a lot of ambition to grow internationally as well”, he adds with conversations currently happening in Asia and the GCC.
“We would be very much interested in having an international store base”, Fieldgate adds.
After driving revenue growth through a “solid” delivery business during Covid, the brand has only recently returned its focus to increasing net store volume.
“Our franchisees have enough confidence in what we’re doing as a brand to put their money into growing the business”, and Creams is now looking at bringing in new franchisees.
“Our business model has grown to the point at which we can have a legitimate conversation with much more experienced, potential franchisees than we have in the past.
Traditionally focused in the South East, with 75% of the business operating in the region, many of the brand’s recent launches have been in the Midlands, North of England, into Scotland.
“Whilst we say, the Midlands and the North is an area of focus, if a fabulous franchisee, comes up in northern Wales or southern Wales, then absolutely we will have that conversation.
