Northern Bank Backs Espresso Winners

A local leading coffee company, Ground Espresso Bars, has announced plans for further expansion, which will include the opening of a new store and the creation of a number of new jobs in Belfast.

The announcement comes on the back of the company's win of a number of prestigious awards, including the Northern Bank Business Growth Award at the recent Coleraine Borough Business Awards.

Ground Espresso Bars currently has two stores in Belfast city centre and a number of others across Northern Ireland, including Coleraine, Portrush, Ballymoney and Ballymena, and employs over 60 staff, with the opening of the new store in Belfast later this year anticipated to take that total head count to around 70 staff.

The company has seen continued growth in sales, staff and number of stores since it was established 10 years ago and, in 2010, reported a 17% increase in sales despite the recession.

Co-director of Ground Espresso Bars, Karen Gardiner, said that this is largely due to the customer loyalty which comes as a result of a highly trained, friendly staff: "We have put lots into training and encouraging our staff over the past 10 years, which has involved every member of staff participating in MAP training programmes, as well as in-house training and a number of staff achieving a Level 3 qualification in Customer Service at college.

"Our staff are friendly, enthusiastic and dedicated to excellent customer service as a result, which means that people keep coming back again and again to our stores.

"We were awarded Excellence in Customer Service recently at the Antrim Business Awards and were highly commended for the same at the Coleraine Borough Business Awards in June this year, as well as winning the Northern Bank Business Growth Award," Karen Gardiner said, (pictured here with Mark Watson, Northern Banking Head of Business - left - and Gordon Keys, Northern Bank Business Banking Manager).

Growth

The Northern Bank Business Growth Award offers applicants the opportunity to get recognition for the growth in their business in the past two years, with judges considering growth in areas such as customer footfall, products/services, staff (including training and development), profit, new markets and market share.

The award is open to any business, large or small, that can demonstrate marked growth in one of these areas.

The judges announced Ground Espresso Bars as winner "in recognition of the vision and passion that shone through their application. They have created a niche and developed a new brand to Northern Ireland in a very competitive sector and in an economic downturn".

According to Gordon Keys, Northern Bank Business Banking Manager, the company was a worthy winner and sets an example for other local businesses seeking to expand: "Ground Espresso Bars demonstrates a very clear strategic vision, a high degree of innovation and continuous growth over the past 10 years, not only in a recession but in a crowded market full of strong multinationals.

"Their success demonstrates what can be achieved with hard work, dedication and determination, even in a challenge market place.

"At Northern Bank we are strongly committed to supporting local businesses in their growth and development so congratulate Ground Espresso Bars and very much look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead as they continue to expand throughout Northern Ireland."

(BMcC/GK)