Costa, famed for its coffee, has launched a food-focused proposition in Tottenham Court Road called Costa Fresco that will serve more than its standard fare of croissants, cakes and toasties.
The cafe, which opens December 7, focuses on offering ‘oven fresh’ food including ‘handcrafted’ ciabattas, pastries, cookies and flatbreads to tap into the casual dining trend.
The newly designed store features designated zones for relaxing and showcases freshly baked food prominently. Staff will bake and serve a new food menu, alongside Costa’s coffee range.
The new menu comprises breakfast, lunch and light snack menu options and includes a Rustico Dry Cured Ham and Mature Cheddar Flatbread, Roasted Pork Belly with Caramelised Braeburn Apple and Onion Ciabatta and Citrus Chelsea Buns.
The store features new branding by design agency Our Design Agency.
Carol Welch, Costa’s global brand and innovation director said: “The opening of Costa Fresco is a reflection of exciting things to come from Costa… [the store is] a fusion of London’s handcrafted bakeries brought to life by our heritage, Italian passion and gusto for vibrant ingredients and genuinely good food.”
Caulder Moore designed the environment for a new food-led concept. The brief was to create an environment that would have a strong food focus with coffee at its heart; to bring oven fresh food with a warm welcome. Costa Fresco broadens its brand offer, making it the ‘home of handcrafted food and irresistible coffee’.
Ian Caulder, Creative Director at Caulder Moore said, “We wanted our design to bring a natural, almost homely quality so that Costa Fresco has a different look and feel to the coffee shops, but is still in-keeping with the Costa brand values. The new store is lighter and brighter to hero the extended menu now on offer, although retaining the warm and welcoming appeal that customers expect from a Costa store.”
The casual dining trend has already been capitalised on by rival Starbucks through its Evenings concept, in which it offers wine, beer and premium foods including chorizo and prawn skewers at selected stores.
However, Costa Fresco may be a one-off as a spokesman confirmed the business has no current plans to expand the offering beyond one store.
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