Experienced partners purchase Kent coffee shop through Christie Finance
Holding years of experience in the food industry and having previously run their own businesses, husband and wife duo Richard Evans and Hazel Thetford, have acquired the well-known Coach House Coffee Shop in New Romney, Kent with funding secured by specialist commercial finance broker, Christie Finance.
The couple look to embark on a journey of improvements, implementing a cultural edge to The Coach House Coffee Shop and bringing a Greek twist to Kent. Our highly experienced broker, Craig Dickson managed to arrange a deal navigating what is a very competitive industry for our clients.
Popular to New Romney, the property sits just off the historic high street, and can be found near the scenic beaches of Littlestone and Greatstone. The picturesque town where the coffee shop lies, sits next to Romney Marsh, an area full of diverse wildlife and boasts some of the nation’s most endangered species. Offering a garage conversion, Richard and Hazel have acquired a property of high-quality that has been superbly improved, bringing a renovated bathroom and kitchen to the table.
Richard managed and eventually took over a busy café from 2014 – 2018, garnering extensive experience in the hospitality industry and will now take on the role as head chef at the Coach House. He understands the requirements of a flourishing business, whilst Hazel brings further experience in management and running her own successful cleaning business, along with providing front of house experience.
The thriving business is famous to the local area and is known for being a hub within the community. The property has been consistently strong with its turnover margins since 2017, and with proposed additions to the shop’s menus, our clients are looking to further increase these margins by welcoming a more cultured edge to the business. Generally, trade is steady with many loyal customers, excellent online reviews and a 5-star hygiene rating.
Our clients are looking to begin their new venture by implementing a unique setting, hosting a Greek taverna menu in the evenings. In addition, they are looking to extend their existing alcohol licence by offering the choice of a more-vibrant beverage scene. Once improvements have begun, the partners have longer term plans to host licensed private functions. Ambitions of outside catering and deliveries will create convenience for customers, and with the way the consumer world is shaping, this could be a valuable proposition in supporting the business to gain more exposure.
Commenting on the deal orchestrated by Christie Finance director, Craig Dickson, our clients said “Christie Finance was recommended by a friend, and we couldn’t have been more impressed with Craig.
Throughout the whole process – which was lengthy and complicated, Craig was on hand immediately every time, going above and beyond to reassure, and guide us, dealing with all parties involved efficiently and effectively every time. Even after his part of the deal was completed, he has been available to offer advice and support; we will absolutely be recommending Christie Finance to all friends and family.
Thanks again for all your assistant during this Craig, we genuinely couldn’t have done it without you!”.
Managing to strike the deal, Craig Dickson further commented ‘I was delighted to arrange the funding, enabling Richard and Hazel to purchase their ‘dream’ business – given the current climate this was not the easiest deal to finance and we encountered a few bumps on-road, however, we got there in the end.
The Coach House Coffee Shop is a thriving business and is recognised locally as a community hub – Richard and Hazel will very much be hands on and are looking forward to getting to know their loyal and regular customers.”