Just get out there and do it – the story of Coffee Republic

Jun 17 2008 by Alex Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

HAVING no knowledge of retail or coffee didn’t deter London lawyer Sahar Hashemi from teaming up with her brother, Bobby, to open a coffee shop.

That was in 1995. Just 13 years later, Coffee Republic is an established high street name with a turnover of £30m.

But the journey wasn’t that straightforward. From the first conversation when the seed of the idea was planted, to getting a DTI Small Firms Loan Guarantee, finding a name and opening the first store, to building a nationwide coffee chain.

It is a story about building a business and also a personal tale about two people who stopped “thinking about it” and “did it”.

Ms Hashemi stepped back from the day-to-day management of Coffee Republic in 2001, and she has now started a second entrepreneurial venture with Skinny Candy, selling sugar-free confectionery.

SAHAR HASHEMI is joining the Live Debate with CityTalk in the Debate Zone, at 1pm today, before speaking at 2.30pm in the Presentation Theatre.