Staff training key to rebranding: Zarraffa’s Coffee chief

The head of Zarraffa’s Coffee has highlighted the importance of staff training in the rebranding process, after the Queensland-based coffee franchise unveiled the overhaul of a chain of WA stores it recently acquired.

Zarraffa’s Coffee, which is headquartered on the Gold Coast, operates more than 50 traditional and drive-thru stores on the east coast.

In August, Zarraffa’s Coffee acquired One for the Road – a WA specialty coffee chain with five drive-thru sites – for an undisclosed sum.

The stores are located in the Perth suburbs of Currambine, Ellenbrook, Peppermint Grove and Canning Vale, and the town of Kalgoorlie, located 595 kilometres east-northeast of Perth.

A staged rollout of the five stores has kicked off with the opening of the Zarraffa’s Coffee Canning Vale store.

The other four stores will reopen as Zarraffa’s branded sites throughout November and December.

Zarraffa’s Coffee chief executive Kenton Campbell has spent many weeks “on the ground” with his new barista teams, which were offered ongoing employment in the acquisition.

“We’ve been on the ground at a store level since taking over the businesses, learning from the market, adapting our menu to suit – always with an eye to operating the stores as Zarraffa’s Coffee by the end of the year,” Campbell says.

“I understand there will be some reluctance to change from what One for the Road customers have come to expect from each location.”

“[But] our teams have been excited by the new menu offering throughout their training and we hope our customers will be too.”

In addition to training, the teams were asked for their feedback with regard to the rebranding exercise.

“[Our priority was to maintain] the momentum they already had with the current brand, One for the Road,” Campbell says.

Zarraffa’s Coffee will eventually seek franchisees for the sites, but will concentrate on service and operations for the immediate future.

“The bottom line is we are serious about our coffee, roasting our own blends, constantly testing our products, and incorporating both customer and our franchisee feedback to shape our business,” Campbell says.

“Our entire operation is excited to finally see the Zarraffa’s giraffe land in Western Australia… Opening in the west is the culmination of a total team effort.”

“We are establishing our brand in the west for the long term and look forward to winning over new customers, one cup at a time.”