The ‘Ground’ opening of Belfast Brew Bar!
Northern Ireland’s leading independent coffee chain, Ground Espresso Bars opened its doors this week to a third Belfast outlet, based in a prime city centre location.
Situated on the corner of Queen’s Street and Wellington Place, this is Ground’s first standalone store in Belfast and has created 20 new employment opportunities. This first expansion project of 2016 involved a £200,000 investment.
The standalone store was designed in a style similar to the new Magherafelt and Bangor outlets, with an on trend industrial finish, state-of-the-art Brew Bar using the new Marco SP9 Brew Stations, and bespoke custom-made espresso machines from Synesso in Seattle. Co-Founder Darren Gardiner discussed the brand’s design process: “Ground are making strides in supporting the development of NI’s coffee scene by continuously investing in research and training to support its progression. We believe innovation in equipment and design are essential for creating an authentic customer experience in today’s marketplace.”
Regional Manager Jonny Ross described the opportunities of another city presence: “Unlike our Belfast concessions in Waterstones and Next Donegal Place, the independent space won’t be restricted in terms of opening hours and interior arrangement. This unit will allow us to engage with our customers in a new and exciting way.”
The coffee chain propelled a series of successful expansion projects in 2015, including new store openings in Magherafelt, Enniskillen, Lisnagelvin, and Bangor. Collectively these outlets have contributed in excess of 70 jobs to their local communities.
Highlighting the company’s growth potential, Director Karen Gardiner said: “Last year, Ground Espresso Bars experienced significant business growth and we are thrilled with the positive reception of all the local communities. We’re looking forward to expanding the Ground team even more this year.” This is the first of many new outlets for this fast growing business.
In 2015, Ground Espresso Bars also announced the opening of outlets in Boucher Road Belfast, Bloomfield Retail Park in Bangor, and New York, USA. It is anticipated that the business will be announcing developments on these projects later this year.
To keep up-to-date with the latest news on this development, visit http://www.groundcoffee.net/
