Bob & Berts create 26 jobs with new store opening

Independent coffee shop chain Bob & Berts is to create 26 jobs with the opening of a new store in Cookstown.

Bob & Berts also revealed plans for further UK-wide expansion for the rest of 2022, with between eight and 10 new stores opening, mostly in England. It’s fourth store in the north of England will open in Bury, Manchester at the end of April, with a sixth Scottish store set to open in Perth in May.

Founder Colin McClean said: “We are really delighted to be opening in Cookstown and to be bringing our simple commitment to serving customers proper coffee and great grub to customers in one of Northern Ireland’s most vibrant market towns. We carefully select each of our coffee shop locations and we’re confident the people of Cookstown will love what we have to offer at Bob & Berts.

“The strength of our brand and confidence in it is reflected in the fact that the business has successfully opened four new stores during the Covid-19 pandemic, all of which have performed better than our original forecasts.”

Co-owner David Ferguson added: “We have been blown away by how the Bob & Berts brand and our offering has been received in each of the locations where we’ve opened in the last couple of years, which have obviously been challenging for all hospitality businesses. We are entering a new phase of growth and very much focused on expanding our brand right across the UK.

“Our branding, food selection and interior design sets us apart from our competition and we believe that we have created an environment which encourages people to relax. As we continue to expand across Northern Ireland, Scotland and England, all of our new coffee shops are being created with this culture in mind.”