FIVE YEARS OF WORKING WITH 200 DEGREES: TEN STORES, SEVEN CITIES – AND THOUSANDS OF ‘FLAT WHITES’…

This week was the launch of 200 Degrees’ tenth store in Birmingham’s Lower Temple Street – the second one in the UK’s second city. The 65-seater coffee shop will create 20 jobs and of course, huge profile for 200 Degrees.

In just five years, the 200 Degrees group has seen huge expansion of its coffee shops, fuelled by lots of ambition, great locations and of course, fantastic handcrafted coffee.

The founders Rob Darby and Tom Vincent launched the “200 Degrees concept”, in 2014, and I helped them secure their first ever site in Nottingham – in a unit which you could say was already home to Nottingham drinkers…the former 15th century Flying Horse Inn in The Poultry.

It was immediately evident that 200 Degrees was something different. The truly individual interior included antique furniture from all over the world – the cinema chairs were from India for example – and the old fireplace, the resting place for many an ale drinker in the past, became a feature. The Nottingham coffee drinking fraternity were soon hooked, and were tweeting about their experiences.

Success was immediate and 200 Degrees launched a second shop in Nottingham’s Carrington Street and then three months later, came Colmore Row in Birmingham – an overnight success with business-people from the surrounding offices beating a path for their cappuccinos and lattes.

I’m proud to say that Box Property has been involved in every single one of the ten 200 Degrees sites which span the Midlands, Yorkshire and North West. As the company’s retained agents, we have enjoyed every step of the journey – and of course, every single sip of coffee we have shared with Rob and Tom in our meetings.

Our work with 200 Degrees has been more than simply finding the best units. Box always believes that getting under the skin of our clients’ businesses means that we can truly understand what they are as a brand – and we give advice and support wherever we can.

Paul Smith may have always been the brand which is synonymous with Nottingham; now, 200 Degrees is gaining a national profile and a cult following. That was clear when we looked to take up the Colmore Row unit in Birmingham three years ago. 200 Degrees was vying against high street giants Caffe Nero, Patisserie Valerie and Paul the upmarket bakers to take a top spot in the city’s bustling business quarter. The landlord’s agent saw 200 Degrees as the ‘minnow’ in the competition – but when he tried the coffee and sampled the Nottingham coffee shops, he very quickly advised his client to take a punt on 200 Degrees.

And it was, of course, a punt which became a huge triumph for 200 Degrees – which by this point, was seen as an independent coffee shop chain and seller of artisan coffee really making its mark.

We took the time to get to know their brand and their businesses which adds real value when we are looking for locations. We delve into the way they work, their businesses and, yes, even the figures, in order to give the best advice. We have seen 200 Degrees start with its overnight success from day one, through to its investment from investment fund Foresight, and the development of its programme of services – coffee subscriptions, trade, barista school, and roastery.

We have been so closely involved with the 200 Degrees story, that we feel part of the team. Knowing what they want and need is second nature. It’s not just about property, it’s about the journey. So much of Box’s service is about making strategic relationships for our clients – putting them in touch with others who can help their business.

We are truly looking forward to the next phase of expansion for 200 Degrees. There will be more stores over the next 24 months. Watch out for Manchester coming up and other target cities like Oxford, Cambridge and York. And we have a totally different location coming up – which will open up a avenue for the shops.

And as for their coffee? It’s fantastic. And I’ve even had a go at making one. But safe to say, it’s best to leave it to the experts…

The 200 Degrees timeline:

The Poultry, Nottingham October 2014

Carrington Street, Nottingham May 2016

Colmore Row, Birmingham August 2016

Bond Street, Leeds December 2016

Market Street, Leicester February 2017

Queen Street, Cardiff April 2017

Division Street, Sheffield June 2018

Sincil Street, Lincoln April 2019

The Met Quarter, Liverpool June 2019

Lower Temple Street, Birmingham August 2019