Paddy & Scott's to open 40+ sites in deal with Marriott hotels

Paddy & Scott’s, the regional coffee shop operator and wholesaler, has agreed a deal to open 40+ branded coffee shops in UK Marriott hotels, Big Hospitality's sister publication MCA has learnt.

The rollout, which is due to go live in 1 July, follows a three-week trial at the Leicester Marriott Hotel, where the operator installed a “fully immersive branded Paddy & Scott’s experience” in the lounge.

The agreement will cover an initial 31 sites, with further coffee lounges to be phased in across the hotel group’s UK estate.

The deal sees East Anglia based Paddy & Scott’s replace Starbucks as Marriott’s UK coffee supplier.

Brand director Jon Reed told MCA: “Marriott are buying into a the Paddy & Scott’s experience, accessing our branding, training and campaigns, with the same coffee quality and experience you would enjoy at our coffee shops.

“They run it and manage as their own outlet, but we give them support, check the quality on a regular bases, and make sure their offer is ahead of the game in terms of consumer trends.”

Reed said the US multinational hotel group had been attracted by the coffee group’s British roots, and the fact it has its own farm in Kenya, which gave staff a positive and engaging story to tell.

He said: “The want more provenance, to reconnect with the consumer. They are proud to be working with a British compnay with a strong message and pride in where we come from.”

Reed said as a former hotelier, he saw a huge opportunity to improve the coffee offer at hotel groups.

He added: “I like to say I’m on a mission to rid the world of boring hotel coffee. It’s a big part of why we exist. We are getting more and more approaches from non-coffee businesses looking to raise their game.”

Earlier this year Paddy & Scott’s unveiled their first university concession, at the University of Suffolk, which works under a franchise similar model.

The group has also signed a JV in the Middle East with the El-Sadek Investment Group LLC, to access the region’s hotel and restaurant market.

Subscribe to MCA's daily newsletter here