Boubacar Barry and Angela Barry-Holmes are the proud owners of five Ipswich-based Coffee Club franchises, and the couple is set to expand their empire to include another two. 

They will open their sixth store at Ipswich City Heart Tower A on 20 November, and a seventh will open its doors for the first time at the Riverlink Shopping Centre on 28 November. 

The couple joined the brand’s Springwood cafe as employees in 2002, and they gradually worked their way up the ranks – purchasing their first franchise at Ipswich’s Riverlink in 2007.

“I fell in love with The Coffee Club from the moment I started working for them and immediately knew that one day, I wanted to have my own store,” said Boubacar.

“There is such a sense of achievement in having your own franchise store, especially when you have seven.”

Boubcar and Angela are looking forward to bringing the Coffee Club brand to even more Ipswich residents, many of who may not be as familiar with the brand.

“The Coffee Club has an extremely loyal customer base and we’re excited to be able to grow this and reach new customers in Ipswich, in a way we couldn’t before,” Boubacar said.

The husband and wife team plays an active role in their local community, and it is expected this will only increase with the opening of two additional stores.

“Being involved in and supporting the community is what we love, and being able to do that through The Coffee Club is an added bonus.

“We’ve been supporting the Ipswich Basketball and Ipswich Knights for the past three to four years and have since begun supporting the Ipswich Hospital Foundation and the Leukaemia Foundation Ipswich,” Boubcar said.

“We hope to be able to continue to grow our community involvement throughout Ipswich and contribute in as many ways as possible.”

The Coffee Club’s director, John Lazarou said the group is excited by the prospect of increasasing its presence in the Ipswich community.

“We are offering local shoppers and people in the community a genuine dining experience and a welcoming venue to meet people,” Lazarou said.

“The bright colour and timber panelling throughout both stores adds to the great atmosphere and already we are noticing passers-by are attracted by our new style. The Coffee Club brand is about ‘inclusiveness’ – everyone is welcome to enjoy a relaxed experience in The Coffee Club.”