Anniversary sees launch of new business
A couple have celebrated the 12-month anniversary of opening their first coffee house – by opening their second!
Rafael and Lisa Hernandez, who live in Warwick, opened their Caffeine Project coffee house at Binley Woods at the end of 2021 – and have now followed up with The Hide in Harbury Lane near Leamington Spa.
The couple started Caffeine Project in 2018 to supply top quality coffee, tea and chocolate to independent cafes across Warwickshire and the surrounding area.
They run the business from the headquarters of The Squab Group, a storage, removals and business unit company, who have now invited them to start an onsite café and meeting area to serve the growing number of businesses based there as well as visitors to the site.
The couple serve a range of drinks, sweet treats and hot food to eat in or takeaway – and have already started providing outside catering for business on the complex.
Lisa, who met Rafael while travelling in Mexico, said Squab had approached them after seeing their wholesale business thrive despite lockdown.
She said: “We have been based at Squab right from the off, when we needed somewhere to store all our products – coffee, tea, chocolate, syrups – so we started with a small unit and the business model has allowed us to expand our space as we have grown.
“As the numbers of businesses based here has also grown, they wanted to create a café and meeting place, and asked us to run it.
“We have already seen businesses holding meetings here, meeting new people, mixing and networking. Right from the off it has had a buzz and there is a real community feel.
“Almost from the off, a few businesses asked if we could cater for meetings they might be having, so we have provided lunches, nibbles and drinks for a few of them and we are keen to grow that side of the business.
“We are also having road signage installed so that people who would like quality food and drink and a quiet place to enjoy it, can call in.”
Caffeine Project supplies businesses across the area and also offer training and consultation on café equipment.
Lisa added: “We genuinely could not be based at a better place. The model is so flexible that it is ideal for a business which is starting and growing. That has been invaluable to us but it is more than that. The people at Squab are just so approachable and clearly want all their tenants to succeed, and will do as much as they can to make that happen.”
Alex Henney, a director of Squab Group, said: “This was a perfect fit. We had seen the work the guys had put in to make a success of Caffeine Project and were aware of Rafael’s expertise and experience in the coffee trade so they were the natural choice.”
