Espresso House recently hit 500 outlets and has now 7000 employees over five markets. Up till today, Espresso House has grown organically in the Nordics and Germany. For 2023 to 2024, we have expansion plans for both existing and new geographies, and therefore, there will be a shift in our business model to include local partners, such as licensing. One important cornerstone is finding the right partners who are committed to shared values, quality, as well as employee and guest experiences.
The preserving of our Nordic heritage is also important, I believe there is something unique about our Nordic approach to coffee and hospitality with service and work that sets us a part. We see our guests and they all get a friendly ‘hi’ from our baristas.
I took office in May 2022 and spent my first 100 days as CEO of Group travelling and listening to our people. I strongly believe that good leadership starts with listening, and our employees are the heart of Espresso House. In my meetings I have seen so much passion and pride but also challenges in daily business. I want our people to feel valued for the amazing work they do, so for 2023 we are increasing salaries for our coffee shop employees as an add-on per hour. We want Espresso House to be an attractive workplace, invest in our people and see them grow with us. We believe the pay rise will take us in the right direction to build a sustainable brand long-term.
In our industry we see a continued strong market for plant-based options, both within food and drinks. We will continue to build on our offer and inspire guests to try products from our assortment that are both very tasty and friendly to our planet. Another prediction for 2023 is a continued development of digital services in the industry. With the aim to reach guests beyond our current business model, our digital and incremental sales were turbo charged during COVID for a smooth and fast “on-the-go” experience. Today, our app has more than two million users and digital sales channels remain a strategic objective for our onward journey.
This article was first published in the January/February 2023 edition of Global Coffee Report. To read the research paper, click HERE.