Budget airline easyJet moves into the coffee market

Lattes, cappuccinos and espressos all at a pound a pop.
You’ll never sleep again.

Normally, when a commodity becomes more plentiful it also gets cheaper. But the proliferation of coffee shops in our town centres seems to have bucked that trend up to now, with a simple cup of coffee costing upwards of £2.  It can be twice that, in the more ‘artisan’ outlets.

But easyJet, who wiped out much of the cost from air travel are now set to do the same with the world’s most energising hot beverage. The first easyCoffee outlet has already opened at Earls Court underground station in London.

It offers a range of soft drinks and hot and cold snacks including freshly made sandwiches, as well as the expected range of premium coffees. Cappuccinos, espressos and lattes are all priced at a competitive £1 a cup.

easyCoffee has been set up by Nathan Lowry, who has licensed the easyJet brand for his own operation, Peoples Coffee. It gives them the kind of instant brand recognition they’ll need to compete with the major coffee chains that dominate Britain’s high streets.

Peoples Coffee hopes to open a chain of 30 easyCoffee outlets across the country within the next 24 to 36 months, all with the no-frills approach and bold orange branding that has already made easyJet a household name.

easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou said; “I am delighted that we are going into business with another young, ambitious entrepreneur like Nathan, in order to bring London something very simple but yet so difficult to find: a great cup of Italian espresso coffee for just a pound.  I think this industry is another example of allowing prices to carry on rising without good reason. Three pounds is a lot of money for a paper cup of espresso. The strength and name recognition of the ‘easy’ brand will encourage consumers to try it for themselves when in Earls Court.”

It’s worth noting that, just as easyJet offers a no-frills basic service for very affordable rates, but adds on costs for extras such as baggage, so with easyCoffee you can have a coffee of your choice for a pound, but if you fancy a sandwich or a cake to go with it you can expect to pay more.

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