Franchise news

Café Frei continues to expand
Following Salgótarján and Kassa, new cafes are to be opened in by the TV celebrity in Debrecen and Eger. Mr. Frei is a trained barista and has the expertise to choose the coffees served in his units which also operate as cultural centres accommodating various events. The specialities of Frei Café will soon appear on the shelves of Spar stores as well.

Lapker buys Café Costa franchise
Hungarian franchise rights of the English cafe chain have been purchased by Lapker. Apart from Hungary, Costa will also enter the Czech and the Slovakian market this year. According to Lapker, operating cafes and selling newspapers are related concepts. At present, Café Costa has 540 units in the UK and another 150 in foreign countries.

Nordsee here again
Nordsee is about to make another attempt at conquering the Hungarian market. They used to operate two units in Budapest ten years ago but these had not been positioned adequately. Reportedly, Nordsee has found the right partner this time, but no information is available about the details. The first Nordsee restaurant will be opened in West End.

No shortage of franchisers
The Spanish Comess Group has new offers for the Hungarian market. They operate 350 Lizarran, Pasta City, Rock&Ribs and Cantina Mariachi restaurants in several countries, including the US.. The Mexican style Cantina Mariachi is to be the first of their restaurants introduced in Hungary. Tapasbar, C House, Chiaroscuro, Café y Té and Café Jubilee are also looking for partners.

Report about franchise in Hungary
The Hungarian Franchise Association is asking franchise businesses to co-operate in preparing its 2008 report about the franchise market in Hungary. The report will include an assessment of the business potential of enterprises and their effect on the economy. It is also intended to give an accurate picture of franchise businesses operating at present. (www.franchise.hu)