BEAR Opens Third Location, Secures New Financing
BEAR, an East Midlands coffee chain, is officially opening its third location today. BEAR was supported by a six-figure loan from HSBC UK to continue its expansion strategy.
BEAR has added to its existing outlets in Derby and Uttoxeter with the opening of the new Stone, Staffordshire location, creating new jobs for the local economy in the process. The new café-bar will provide customers with speciality coffee, fresh food, cocktails and craft beer in the former HSBC building.
The financing from HSBC UK has been used to design and fit-out the store, cover BEAR’s marketing budget for the launch and train new team members.
Commenting on the expansion, Craig Bunting, co-founder of Derby, England-based BEAR, said, “We opened our first BEAR in 2016, with the aim of serving great coffee in a warm and welcoming environment, but what really sets us apart is our love for coffee products and connecting with the community around us. The growth of BEAR so far has been an incredible and humbling journey and we look forward to delivering our strategy of being a UK Challenger Brand.”
“Here at BEAR, coffee is our world — all of our roasts are of a single origin and carefully selected from sustainable sources, so we can make sure that every cup we serve is delicious,” says Louise Cook, BEAR’s head of coffee. “We’re thrilled to have opened up a site in Stone and can’t wait to share our passion for coffee with the community.”
BEAR hopes to quickly become a cornerstone business on the High Street and connect with the local community in as many ways as possible. It differentiates itself from the rest of the market through its inviting atmosphere — getting to know each of its customers, ensuring all staff love what they do and deliver a mix of specialty coffee, simple and honest food, cocktails and craft beer.
BEAR is working to expand throughout the Midlands and beyond, with plans to open to 30 stores nationwide over the next five years.
