The Coffee Club

The Coffee Club and Nisbets

Since 2005 when The Coffee Club New Zealand first opened its doors in Lower Hutt, Nisbets New Zealand has worked closely with franchisees across the country, providing commercial kitchen equipment and advice, to ensure a frictionless experience for both owners and customers.

More recently the relationship has extended to the seven Bird on a Wire stores, that now sit alongside The Coffee Club brand.

The Coffee Club Director and Property Manager, Brad Jacobs, says the cafes have broad needs in terms of equipment; anything from large ovens to deep fryers and tapware will be on the list when a new store prepares to open its doors.

"The longstanding relationship we have with Nisbets means they have an in-depth understanding of the brand and the equipment that's needed to keep everything running," he explained.

"Nisbets is a good strong brand for a good price, you can always get the best deals and the brands are very well supported. If you were to import the equipment from outside of New Zealand, you run into problems if something goes wrong, but with Nisbets on hand, the downtime on equipment that needs to be serviced is minimal."

The Coffee Club's first café opened in 1989 in Australia, after founders Emmanuel Kokoris and Emmanuel Drivas were out late at night searching for a good cup of coffee.

After an unsuccessful journey and hours of chatting, The Coffee Club was born. Their idea was to create a place where people could meet for coffee; a relaxed meeting place that was stylish yet affordable.

Today, the company employs more than 6,000 staff in 400+ cafes globally, serving more than 40 million coffees each year.

The selection of coffee along with food and other beverages has continued to evolve over the past 30 years, and with that comes a need for new equipment and a working knowledge of all things Coffee Club.

"It's critical to have a supplier who's invested in what's required behind the scenes," says Brad. "Whether it's a new store opening or the servicing of catering equipment in an existing franchise, it's great to have Nisbets working with us. Not only does it reduce stress across the board, but it also helps us avoid mistakes by pre-empting any problems."

Business Development Manager for Nisbets New Zealand, Mark Twyman, has worked with the brand for the past 15 years and says whilst much of the equipment is standardised across the franchise, factoring in variants such as layout, space, and the use of gas or electric, is important.

His 30+ years of experience in the industry means he can quickly identify and solve any problems. He has also worked with The Coffee Club to provide training in-store and at company conferences.

"Whether it's training staff on the operation of key kitchen equipment or a demo on how to thoroughly clean appliances, it helps to maximise the life of the machine and minimises any downtime for servicing," says Mark.

Key to the ongoing relationship with Nisbets is Mark’s ability to jump in and make recommendations on equipment and propose more productive processes," adds Brad.

"That's invaluable to us in terms of daily operations and especially when a new franchisee is preparing to open the doors.

"Knowing we have a supplier that genuinely cares about our brand and us, and that the relationship goes beyond the sale of equipment, is one of the reasons we continue to work with Nisbets. It's a relationship that we truly value, one that has won our loyalty."