Really Awesome Coffee’s Corby franchisee tells her story

Tessa launched her business just a few days before the Prime Minister’s first lockdown instruction.

The determined franchisee, who has now been in business for around a year, said,

“When I was doing my two-week training at Head Office, the Covid-19 situation was starting to gain momentum. However, I was paying absolutely no attention to any of it due to learning about coffee-making and preparing my brain to run a business for the first time.”

After opening for business on the Thursday and having to close on the Monday, she only had three days of normality as a coffee van franchise partner. But the lockdown didn’t initially phase Tessa:

“Being so new to running a business, I actually had no idea what any of it might mean. I had nothing to compare it to! I hadn't even managed to get a customer base - most of those were last seen loading their laptops into their cars and heading off to work at home.”

Luckily, the franchise’s head office team were on hand to offer valuable ongoing support. They moved into coffee delivery strategies and Tessa was soon making beverages on strangers’ doorsteps. She explained,

“It really was quite a magical thing in those early days. Many people were completely housebound during the first lockdown and I was often the only break they got. Adults and kids alike would shriek when they saw the van!”

When Tessa began to visit local businesses, many bosses apologised for the limited amount of staff on the premises. Over the months, employee numbers rose and fell, but Tessa always had enough orders to continue operating.

She added,

“I've been trading for a year now and the difference in the last few weeks is really exciting! Staff are coming back to work. Stops that appeared dead to start with are now buzzing. We aim for 30 stops - I have 40 - and it's only going to get busier.”