The café Christchurch can’t get enough of: Cocoa Black
“Much of our growth comes from customers asking us to open closer to where they live or work,” says the Christchurch business owner behind a seven-strong coffee shop empire.
“I do not think there is one single secret formula. For us, it has always been about consistency, good people, fresh food and genuinely understanding the local community,” says Cocoa Black owner Yong Ren. With seven locations – Merivale and Bishopdale malls, Wigram, St Martins, Waikuku, Marshland and Redcliffs – plus an eighth to open in Prebbleton this October, and a ninth confirmed for Nelson, Cocoa Black is the coffee fix customers can’t get enough of. That demand, Yong says, is the “best compliment” his team could get.
“We have built the business one store at a time, choosing neighbourhood locations and listening carefully to what local customers want.” That means full-bodied and balanced coffee, freshly-made comfort food, a commitment to community, and a local, personal flavour that serves each café’s place on the map. “Many of our team members know their regular customers by name and often know their usual coffee order before they ask. That personal connection is extremely important to us,” Yong says.
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