An independent coffee shop owner says the recent surge of larger coffee shop chains in
Cardiff could threaten business.
It comes after the Canadian chain Tim Hortons opened two city centre stores in just over six weeks, one on Queen Street and another on Working Street.
A third store will be opening on Albany Road in the next few days.
Tim Hortons will be the newest coffee shop to go alongside a number of chain cafes already on Albany Road, including Coffee #1 and Costa Coffee.
But Trevor Hyam, barista and owner of the independent coffee shop The Plan, says competition from large chains in Cardiff means he has to take a different approach to be successful.
“As an independent coffee maker, our focus is making the best coffee for our customers. For example, I’m insistent on not using syrups and training our baristas to be of the highest quality, not just in Cardiff but in the UK. I’m confident that the wider public are knowledgeable enough to know when a high class coffee is placed in front of them.”
Tim Hortons were unavailable for comment.
