A franchise with a strong bond to the community

The new Esquires Coffee outlet, which opened in Longord Retail Park's Axis Centre, has created 20 new jobs as well as offering all the products and hallmarks that have made the Esquires' franchise opportunity so successful in Ireland and around the world. "At Esquires, our main aim is serving that perfect cup of coffee combined with the freshest locally sourced produce. Relax with the daily papers and our professional service 'baristas' will take care of the rest," explains Rhona.

The couple's Carrick on Shannon Esquires Coffee outlet was a runner-up at Ireland's largest retail sector awards, the FBD Retail Excellence Ireland Awards 2009, which were presented by the Tánaiste and Minister for Education, Mary Coughlan, T.D., and hosted by TV and radio personality, Miriam O'Callaghan.

Esquires initially progressed to the top 100 stores and, after a further rigorous store assessment, made it to the list of Ireland's Top 30 stores. Esquires was a worthy runner-up in the medium-size category and was the only coffee house in Ireland to reach this stage.

Commenting on the award, Fergal and Rhona, who between them have 40 years of business experience, were delighted to have received such recognition from Retail Excellence in their first year of operation. "At Esquires we always strive to provide our customers with excellent customer service, it is and will always be a hallmark of our business," adds Rhona.

The Esquires Coffee Houses franchise concept is unique and visitors to one of its outlets can expect a warm, comfortable and fun atmosphere reminiscent of the classic American coffee house. Serving top quality gourmet speciality coffees, as well as other hot and cold beverages, freshly made sandwiches from its extensive deli, snacks and patisseries, Esquires Coffee Houses is the ideal location to take a break from shopping, meet friends or just relax. Esquires also provides hot food all day with a tasty section of hot dishes, paninis, Italian ciabattas, bagels and warming soups on offer.

Esquires Coffee Houses is a dedicated supporter of Fairtrade and all its coffee, tea and hot chocolate is exclusively Fairtrade, something no other coffee chain in Ireland offers.

Fergal explains: "More and more people are conscious of supporting the communities that supply our coffee beans. At Esquires we offer coffee with a conscience."

A community ethos is also a strong feature of Esquire's business, with each of the stores in Ireland supporting local as well as international charitable causes.

The freedom of running their own business under such a renowned name is not the only benefit both Fergal and Rhona have discovered since becoming Esquires franchise owners.

"The ongoing support we have received has been excellent," says Rhona. "The Esquires head office team is very experienced and hands on, they regularly visit us and we know they are always on the other end of a phone. "We are very happy with the way things have gone for us in our first year and we would be happy to recommend an Esquires Coffee franchise to anyone interested in getting in to the café business."