Business

Fears that California Coffee has served its last latte - 40 jobs at risk

California and Bullet Proof cafe in Ann Street yesterday. Picture: Hugh Russell
California and Bullet Proof cafe in Ann Street yesterday. Picture: Hugh Russell California and Bullet Proof cafe in Ann Street yesterday. Picture: Hugh Russell

ONE of Belfast's longest established independently-owned coffee shops may have served its last latte - just a year after investing £1 million on a major refurbishment.

California Coffee, owned by Newry brothers Edmund (46) and Ronan Byrne (41), has been operating for more than 15 years.

Originally located in Arthur Street, the company expanded its business in 2015, moving to a new store at Ann Street serving coffee and high-end burgers, and creating 40 jobs in the process.

But the Irish News understands that California Coffee and the adjoining Bullet Proof eaterie has closed.

Calls to the business went unanswered yesterday and the shutters remained down.

Before Christmas another popular cafe, the Coffee Den in Belfast's Union Street, also shut.

And it emerged that the Royal Avenue building which houses Belfast Coffee Co is being sold by commercial property firm Lambert Smith Hampton for £800,000, although there is no suggestion the cafe will close.

Around £8 billion was spend in coffee shops in the UK last year, with sales across the market 10 per cent higher than the previous year as café culture tightened its clutch.

In Northern Ireland the market has been dominated in recent years by the larger chains like Costa Coffee, Starbucks and Caffe Nero.

California Coffee opened in 2001 when Edmond Byrne returned to Northern Ireland following a successful time with his US-based internet-based live music company, of which he sold a controlling stake to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

With his brother Ronan, he then started plans on his coffee business in Belfast city centre, where he used his Silicon Valley technology experience to monitor and control all aspects of the company business from an iPad.

And California Coffee was also acknowledged as being ahead of its time in launching a smart phone app that enabled customers to order online and reserve a table.

No-one from the company was available for comment, though one member of staff told the Irish News that she "feared the worst" after being told there was "no longer any work".