A new coffee and book shop concept, launched in London last month, has secured its second site in the captial, British Baker can reveal.

Paper & Cup, based in Shoreditch, east London, which was launched by local charity Spitalfields Crypt Trust (SCT), will be opening its next outlet on St Paul’s Way in the Mile End region of the capital on 1 December.

Brent Clark, founder of Paper & Cup, told British Baker: “We have just confirmed we are expanding to a second store. I was always looking to grow the business, but I certainly didn’t expect to do it within a month of opening our first site. We are being supported by Lexington Catering with the management and start-up side of things, along with a couple of members of staff to help get us off the ground.”

He added that the coffee shop business, which serves a selection of sandwiches, cakes and beverages, as well as offering a pop-up style library for customers, will be run by people who have benefited from the charity, including recovering alcoholics, ex-drug addicts and homeless people.

Members of staff will received barista training from Union Coffee, while Paper & Cup’s stores will be supplied with a selection of bread and cake products from local craft bakery business, The Flour Station. The business has also managed to rally up support from the local community, with a number of residents signing up to make cakes for Paper & Cup’s stores on a regular basis.

Clark said he will be looking to take on around 10 new trainees for the new site, and will continue to look further sites in the capital, particularly in central London.

“I would love to have a coffee shop business that competes with the likes of Pret A Manger and EAT, but with a social conscious. My aim is for customers to find out that we are a social enterprise or a charity by mistake, I don’t think people are going to buy a cake or a coffee because of that reason. We want to produce great products and provide great service and then let people find out what we are doing.”

The business has received financial backing for start-up costs through banks and SCT fundraising, but the running costs will be funded through profits made by Paper & Cup’s stores.

Clark has called for local bakery businesses to come forward and help supply the business. For anyone who would like to help, please contact Brent Clark on 07815 106615 or brent.clark@sct.org.uk.

Topics