Rob Ely on building a people-first coffee brand with purpose – Small Business Retail Sessions (S1E7)

Welcome to the Small Business Retail Sessions podcast, brought to you by Enterprise Nation's Powering the High Street programme, in collaboration with EDF.

This series explores the major challenges that today's retailers are facing – from declining footfall and vacant shop-fronts to the post-pandemic recovery and increasing demand for sustainability.

Episode seven: Rob Ely, co-founder of TOAST

Rob Ely is the co-founder and director of TOAST, a proudly independent chain of coffee shops launched in Essex in 2019.

Alongside his co-founders Daniel and Louis, Rob has grown TOAST from one quirky, toast-themed café into a people-first coffee brand with six thriving locations – and big ambitions for the future.

In this episode, Rob shares how TOAST has created a loyal customer base by delivering exceptional service, investing in its people and staying true to its values.

From lockdown pivots and brand lessons to the power of community and choosing the right high street locations, Rob talks candidly about the highs and lows of building an independent hospitality business that's genuinely built to last.

Topics discussed in the episode

• How TOAST evolved from a toast-themed concept into a coffee-led brand

• What Rob learned from launching just weeks before the first COVID lockdown

• Why a heartfelt social media post helped turn the tide in TOAST's early days

• The challenges of scaling while staying proudly independent

• Why location is critical – and how being "too far" from footfall can make or break a shop

• How TOAST empowers staff to shape the business and values people over profit

• Lessons from a failed expansion and how it reshaped their growth strategy

• The importance of operational consistency across several sites

• How TOAST supports its communities through its "Coffee for a Coffee" initiative

• What's next: refining the brand, expanding regionally and creating a new kind of coffee culture

   

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