Costa Coffee presedes Starbucks in Budapest

The Italian-started, UK-based coffee chain is to open its first two cafés in December.

The company, via Lapker Zrt. that
sealed a franchise deal with Costa Coffee, will in the first round
set up two units, local daily Napi Gazdaság reported. One of
the cafés will be located at Oktogon, a square on Andrássy
út, which is a favoured spot for high-end stores, such as
Louis Vuitton with Tag Hauer, Armani and Gucci also looking to set
foot there. Costa Coffee plans to open 10 stores in Hungary. company
has been present in Bulgaria, Poland and Romania since 2006, in
Serbia since 2007 and has set up shop in Croatia and Montenegro this
year.

The real coffee combat is to commence
in 2009 when US Goliath of the coffee shop world Starbucks is likely
to debut in the capital city.