2022-10-08 16:47:43
BarcelonaRenovated kiosks, good coffee, smileys as a logo and discounts in exchange for telling good news. This is the philosophy of GoodNews, the start-up of coffee that wants to fall in love with new generations and become the new Starbucks. This September marked two years since the opening of the company, which was born in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and which closed in 2021 with a turnover of 1 million euros. “If everything goes well, in 2022 we expect to invoice close to 4 million”, they explain from the company.
The GoodNews business proposal came from five friends from Barcelona who, tired of the bad news surrounding the media environment, bet on “turning the newsstands upside down with the idea of selling good news”, says the director general of the company, Alejandro Ledesma. With this goal in mind, the five partners decided to buy kiosks “of life”, which were starting to disappear due to the decline in sales of paper newspapers in recent years, and convert them into cafes take away and a place to find, in addition to newspapers, “also good news”.
“We are talking about the middle of 2021, there was great sadness in the newsstands. Everything was bad news and it was decided to do a facelift and turn it into a meeting point for young people and good news,” explains Ledesma . This resulted in an aesthetic change from traditional kiosks: young baristas, smileys as a logo and a hook: “If you go to a GoodNews and tell a good news story, they give you a coffee,” explains the CEO. “The idea is to bring the good vibes to the neighborhoods.”
Keys to success
The first kiosk to become GoodNews was the one on Carrer Balmes with Avinguda Diagonal, and the reception was so positive that, in two years, they already have 21 premises spread between Barcelona, Madrid and Paris and a total of 90 workers . The intention of entrepreneurs is not just to be one start-up of coffee, but to “cover the empty space in the world of coffee and be a reference brand”. Newspapers and magazines are also sold in these kiosks, “and yes they are sold, but they are by no means the first source of income”.
As Ledesma points out, his reference is Starbucks, the American chain that managed to position itself as an indisputable meeting place among young people. “We have realized that in recent years this leadership has lost steam; 80% of their customers do not take advantage of the Starbucks space and order coffee to go and we want to fill that hole.” That is why, in addition to the kiosks, GoodNews has started to invest in premises, with a modern and youthful decoration, where in addition to takeaway coffee you can also sit down.
The exponential growth of the company can be explained in three basic points around a few premises clearly instagramejables. “We have a very good rapport with these generations,” explains the businessman. In addition, the company has a fresh and fun essence, with the smileys and the good vibes at the stops and venues. And finally, “customer service and the experience at the point of sale,” says Ledesma. “Our baristas are all young people, with a good background and with a great attitude; we have many repeat customers and a fantastic harmony is created,” he says.
The ecological awareness that the company promotes is also gaining importance, “with campaigns such as if you bring your own thermos, you get a 50% discount, and this vision of sustainability resonates very well with young people”, explains the general director.
At the same time, one of their ways to build customer loyalty is the 12-month consumer subscription coffee, as well as a business branch business to business (for companies). This week the company announced a new digital subscription model for SMEs and they are already working with companies such as Wallbox or Sodexo.
Prestigious surnames
The surnames behind the business are well known among the Barcelona and Catalan business community. The founder and president is Jan Barthe Cuatrecasas, nephew of Emilio Cuatrecasas and husband of Marta Palatchi. Jan Barthe had already worked before: in 2019 he was one of the promoters of the White Summer Festival, the shop space and food trucks fashionable among Barcelona residents in the Empordà. This year he handed over management to his sister to focus on the expansion of GoodNews.
Among the co-founders, we also find Lucas de Gispert, also co-founder of the start-up successful TropicFeel; Fernando Conde, director of real estate at GoodNews and nephew of Luis Conde, founder of Seeliger y Conde; Ignacio Campos and Alejandro Catasús.
The business has attracted the attention of several giants of the business world, who have entered as investors and some of whom are also on the board of directors. The 11 million round they closed at the beginning of September was the company’s fourth round of investment since its birth. In this case, the round was led by the founder of Desigual, Thomas Meyer, through his company Life is cool. Javier Rubió also participated, through Barlon Capital, which has also invested in other successful start-up companies such as Vicio, Paack or Housefy. Both have joined GoodNews as advisors.
The company’s board also includes Antonio Gallardo Torrededía, director of Landon and Almirall, son of Antonio Gallardo Ballart, honorary vice-president of Almirall; Rafael Esteve, co-owner of Pastoret de la Segarra yogurts, and Alejandro Ledesma, the general manager of GoodNews for a year.
Outside the board but also as investors, we find names like Manuel Puig, vice president of the Puig fragrances multinational; Harry Serra Moreno, CEO of family office Salomon 1965, which has in its portfolio successful restaurants such as Isabella’s or the Crep Nova chain; Oscar Pierre, founder of Glovo, and Enric Vial, Founder and CEO of mortgage consultancy aFinance and former director at Massimo Dutti.
In total, GoodNews has closed four investment rounds in two years. The first was a family & friends; with the second they raised three million euros; with the third they got 4.6 million, of which around 600,000 euros came from private investors; and, finally, the fourth, of 11 million. According to its general manager, they plan to make another round of financing at the end of 2023 to continue boosting expansion in Europe and hope to reach the break even – point at which income equals expenditure – before the end of the year.
Next moves
GoodNews is not satisfied with Barcelona, Madrid and Paris. Its aim is to open in Amsterdam at the end of this year and in 2023 to also expand to Berlin, Copenhagen, Helsinki and other European cities, with a clear focus on the north of the continent.
At the same time, as far as the business is concerned, the intention is to continue to obtain premises – apart from kiosks – and to promote the entry of healthy products. In this regard, as ARA has learned, in November they will launch a new range of products as a result of an agreement with a start-up pharmaceutical of vitamin supplements. “The idea is that we will make combos of coffee + supplement and we hope that it will end up being an important business area,” explains Ledesma.
If things continue to go well, GoodNews will be able to continue to boast of being the company that successfully committed the crazy task of resurrecting the newsstand world.
#GoodNews #coffee #startup #Starbucks #GenZ