Columbus franchise a star in Bethlehem

The Columbus Coffee outlet at 19 Bethlehem Rd serves a burgeoning Bethlehem community and visitors. Photo / Supplied

A Columbus coffee franchise in Bethlehem's upmarket town centre, within Tauranga city, is for sale with ABC Business Sales.

The popular seven-day-cafe, located on the fast-growing northern fringe of the city, has a strong following among locals, many of them now regarding it as, "their local," says Linda Harley, of ABC Tauranga.

At the 100-seat cafe, staff drawn from surrounding schools and businesses serve the families and active retirees of the burgeoning local community, plus visitors from other parts of Tauranga.

Harley says Bethlehem is now the largest outdoor shopping centre in the Western Bay of Plenty.

"The Town Centre has more than 40 quality stores, offering boutique fashion and footwear, through to health and beauty, home and living merchandise. With a combined 20,000sq m of retail space, a Countdown supermarket at one end and Kmart at the other, the town centre has first-rate levels of foot traffic."

The premises is probably the greatest draw-card of this friendly, community-focussed eatery — as it occupies a high-profile, sunny spot, with a generous outdoor seating area, she says.

Folding doors create a great indoor outdoor flow through to the 142sq m, 100-seat cafe.

The cafe in the Bethlehem town centre seats 100 customers. Photo / Supplied

"The staff, many of them long-serving, are self-managing when the vendor and his family travel.

"So, the sale represents an opportunity to buy a reliable and consistent business in a proven location, with strong management in place along with the support and full training of New Zealand's multi-award-winning Columbus Coffee franchisor," says Harley.

She says Columbus' highly distinctive and recognisable yellow branding has high recognition.

"Folk appreciate a warm welcome, high quality food and great coffee at one of Columbus Coffee's 70 stores nationwide.

"Award winning franchise systems and seamless business training and support, will give the eventual purchaser the confidence boost they need, especially if it is their first business."

Harley adds that while everyone probably thinks they can run a cafe, in order to be successful, they will generally need guidance and support.

"And there are few companies better at this than Columbus Coffee, with a positive input meaning the difference between failure and success."