BREWING UP A STORM

freshly brewed beans from the back of a quirky three wheeler

From the outset Julia and Rob Dixon and their partner Jason O’Neill have been avid coffee fans, setting up The Big Coffee cafe bar in the UK in 2002. The trio wanted to expand their coffee operation but were unsure what direction to take. After a holiday in Milan they happened upon a man selling coffee from the back of his renovated Piaggio Ape van. Light bulbs instantly lit up for them and became a major step in the Big Coffee’s business journey.

DISTINCTIVE

At the beginning a lot of hard work was required in order to import the quirky vans which are only constructed in Italy and had to be converted in order to operate as a coffee shop. The Ape can be towed on a trailer provided through the franchise package or they can be driven to wherever the caffeine hungry crowds are congregating. The Ape can quite literally go anywhere, be it a city centre square, a one off event or a weekend festival. The innovative franchising idea has been very well received so far in the UK and according to Julia Dixon there has been a great response to the mobile outlets throughout Ireland since their launch here this year. She says it’s an instant money maker because they quite literally follow the crowds. “You can make a good living with one, a great living with two or three, but if you’ve big plans you can have ten or eleven and become a manager,” says Dixon.

FORWARD THINKING

At the moment there are plans for a number of Ape vans to hit the Dublin streets, catering for the city’s coffee rush hours. The vans never fail to capture the imagination of potential customers and franchisees alike and are attracting business first timers as well as the more experienced. According to Dixon, the Big Coffee is a forward thinking and open minded company. “The great thing about this business is that if Starbucks open on your door step, you just get in your van and drive to a new location,” she says. Future plans for the company include expansion into Denmark and the US. Asked what her business motto is, Dixon quips, “enjoy what you do, take calculated risks, look at what is popular in people’s lifestyles, go to events and look at what people are buying into now, quality purveyors of food and drink are guaranteed to do well.” This enthusiasm certainly seems to be flowing in the right direction for The Big Coffee.

Published in the October 2007 Issue of Irish Entrepreneur