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New Bakers + Baristas coming to Canterbury

Jane Blake 205 Views

A new Bakers + Baristas is coming to town, with a twist.

Taking over from Patisserie Valerie, which closed quietly with a note stuck to the window in January, the builders are in refreshing the premises with a complete new layout, which is spacious and open planned.

Set to open next Friday, March 15; this is one of five franchises owned by the Qayyum brothers, who bought their first coffee shop 19 years ago.

This is very much a family concern.

“We run the stores together, Ahmed, Imran, and myself,” said Amer. “The three of us have worked together for 19 years.

“One looks after Harlow, and the other Chelmsford, and I look after Bexley Heath and Hempstead Valley in Gillingham.

“Everybody sells coffee, but it is all about ambience, and if your coffee is top notch, people will come back.”

Applying to Canterbury City Council, Amer is hoping to install Shisha in the outdoor seating area for Summer, which should add some extra flair to the High Street, and be quite eye-catching. So far the refurbishment has cost around £350,000.

“This is a tiny store, normally the costs would be much higher, our other stores cost a bit more than that,” Amer said.

Competing with local bubble tea rooms, the brothers are introducing a top range of bubble teas, to go with the shisha, “so we are targeting people from six to 80 years old, but we will only look at a top ten flavors.

“If the permission comes through for the shisha, we will also introduce mocktails, and a later opening time, up to midnight.”

On Fridays grand opening it is a case of keep looking out for special offers on the digital menu in the window, which promises anything from free coffees to a muffin.