When it comes to coffee shops across the UK, Brits are spoilt for choice thanks to an abundance of both chains and independent outlets that serve a much-needed caffeine kick.
While the likes of Starbucks, Costa and Pret all have multiple stores up and down the country, there is one chain that may be a relative unknown to Brits despite having been in operation for 25 years.
This is because the brand in question prefers to target suburban locations as a way to continually attract a loyal set of customers.
Featuring locations in the likes of Aylesbury, Caerphilly, Corby, Guildford and Windsor, Esquires also has some stores in London, Cardiff and Dublin.
According to the business, it is able to set itself apart from competitors by ‘blending independent coffee culture with the consistency and support of a franchise’.
However, online reviews for the chain on Tripadvisor are inconsistent, with scores fluctuating based on the location of the coffee shop.
For example, the branch in Twickenham, south-west London, scored four out of five stars, with people praising its ‘amazing service’ and ‘delicious food’.
However, a nearby outlet in Esher, Surrey, has a current score of 2.5 out of five, with visitors claiming it is ‘dirty’, ‘disorganised’ and has ‘poor service’.
Featuring locations in the likes of Aylesbury, Caerphilly, Corby, Guildford and Windsor, Esquires also has some stores in London, Cardiff and Dublin
Reviews were somewhat more positive on Facebook, with 72 per cent of reviewers saying they would recommend the coffee chain.
Users add that it was a ‘nice’ and ‘friendly’ business with a ‘very homely atmosphere’.
Aiden Keegan, chief executive of Esquires in the UK, said: ‘We see that the brand has really strong potential to reach more communities.
‘We’re not going high street, we’re not going flagship, you’ll never see us on Oxford Street. We don’t particularly want to be in central business districts or city centres.
‘We’re happier in the suburbs where people working from home want to visit a cafe to work – we see a lot of people in our stores with earbuds on their laptops – or for a break, or to catch up with friends. This means we get bigger spend and longer dwell time than in more central locations.’
It comes after many cafe owners shared how they are waging war on laptop hoggers who attempt to take advantage of free Wi-Fi by ordering as little as one bottle of water or a singular hot drink.
In an attempt to tackle the practice and deter the WFH crowd, many have brought in tough new measures – refusing to offer free WiFi, limiting the hours laptops can be used in, and even banning them altogether.
In a retail area as in-demand as Finchley Road in north London, cafe owner Eric says he is losing money for each seat occupied by a laptop user rather than a paying customer.
According to the business, it is able to set itself apart from competitors by ‘blending independent coffee culture with the consistency and support of a franchise’
For many cafes, precious seating taken up by customers who are there to focus on their Zoom meetings and spreadsheets rather than enjoying coffee and pastries (stock image)
Speaking at his shop, Local Coffee & Grocery in West Hampstead, a cozy spot which doubles as an organic food store, he said the problem got so bad and the cost so high that they stopped offering customers Wi-Fi altogether.
Eric said: ‘We had to set boundaries. Usually, when people see there’s no Wi-Fi they change their minds and leave.
‘Before, we had issues with people who would sit down and use the Wi-Fi without even ordering anything.
‘Small businesses like us, we need to pay our rent, our rates, everything. I’ve calculated that every seat costs us £5 an hour. One coffee is not covering that.’
‘Sometimes they don’t even buy coffee, they buy something like a bottle of water from the shop which costs £1 or £1.50 and want to sit here.’