New Costa Coffee outlet to open in Seaham

Construction work is nearing completion on the Costa outlet on land off South Terrace, outside Byron’s Place Shopping Centre, in Seaham.

The cafe will be run by Cuppacoff, which already has more than 20 of the outlets across the country, and will be launched after the brand’s owner, Whitbread, saw a gap in the market in the area.

The business, which saw 45 people apply for its jobs, is due to open on Friday, September 11.

Grant Roderickson, general manager of Cuppacoff, said: “We were looking for a site and looked around for the best place and saw the shopping centre.

“We saw the land outside, made inquiries, and then bought that and it’s in a really good position.”

The firm believes it will be a welcome addition to the area and will not harm cafe trade in the town, which has flourished thanks to its regeneration and boom as a tourist hotspot.

Grant added: “For a small town there are quite a lot of independents, but I think there is room for both.

“Customers are loyal to Costa, people drive to somewhere which has got one, and people are the same with independent cafes, because they build up a customer following because they have a particular niche.”

Byron Place’s manager John Brady said: “We welcome another new name to the town.

“This is yet another new development, it shows Seaham is still growing and it can attract the big names.”