“Cafe2u gave me the confidence that this was something that I could do and make a success of”

We’re constantly talking to everyone in our network of mobile café owners. Our franchisees know they can also reach out at any time to ask for advice, or just chat about how everything is going. However, every year, we also ask our franchisees to give us more detailed answers to questions about how they feel about their franchise journey with Cafe2U.

We want to share these stories with you because there’s no better way to really learn what being part of a franchise is all about than to hear it from people who are living and breathing it every day.

Which is why we’re very pleased to introduce Rob Johnson, owner of Café2U Warrington North

Rob’s in his third year with us now, but not so long ago, he was working in a completely different world as an Account Manager at BT. When redundancy loomed, he saw it as a chance to do something for himself, using the customer skills he already had to build a business rooted in community.

“I looked at several franchises and I either did not have the capital required or I was not convinced that I would make a return on my investment. “ Rob told us.” I also spoke to several franchisees at both Cafe2u, and they gave me the most confidence that this was something that I could do and make a success of it.”

Which is exactly what he has done! In fact, he’s one of our most successful partners, and scooped the much coveted Barista of the Year award in 2024.

From Day One to Year Three, the support never stops

Like every new franchisee, Rob started with our Acceleration Training and Launch Programme. It’s a roadmap that covers everything you need to hit the ground running: operational training, van setup, route development, you name it.

However, our support doesn’t stop after launch day. We’re there every step of the way, whenever, and for whatever, our franchisees need us for.

“The help and support has been on-going and I am coming into my 3rd year and the support is still needed and still there. The Franchise have been brilliant throughout.”

Rob’s route is now well-established. He’s up early, prepping his mobile café before 6am, and usually wraps up around 3:30pm after restocking and cleaning. While he’s ticking over very nicely with a pretty decent income, he still sees huge potential for growth. His goal is to one day hit 30 stops a day, and serve 100+ drinks. Ambitious, but certainly do-able, and he’s not far off!

Here’s a little video of what each day looks like for Rob now: A Day in the Life – Rob Johnson

Smart tech and real connection

Being part of the Café2U franchise isn’t just about serving great coffee. It’s about connecting with people.

“To begin with my memory was terrible but I have worked hard at getting to know people and remembering little things about what they have told me. It is no longer hard work and it is just like keeping in touch with your mates.”

Rob’s also making fantastic use of our Cafe2U app, which allows him to alert customers that he is nearby, as well as to collect loyalty stamps. However, he just as often finds people standing outside waiting for him. He’s also working on building up his social media presence – with a little help from us, of course!

What advice would he offer people thinking about joining the Cafe2U franchise?

“Be prepared for hard work. You need to be able to do a bit of everything. Manage your time, motivate yourself, sell, accounting, production, social media etc., but it’s worth it!”

Is Cafe2U right for you?

We’ll be sharing more real-life franchisee stories over the next few weeks, but you’re more than welcome to ask me any questions you have at any time.