The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Battle brewing at city station
Caffe Nero could soon open a new coffee shop at Aberdeen Railway Station – just yards away from a major rival.
Proposals indicate that the firm could take on an empty unit across from the entrance to Union Square.
The space is one of four created in a major refurbishment of the Aberdeen station.
It is currently listed as “under offer” on the ScotRail website, which boasts of the 2.7 million passengers, and potential customers, who pass by every year.
Upgrades worth £8m were completed at the station in 2022.
And plans for the new cafe come as railway bosses expect an increase in passengers over the coming years, with more links promised between Aberdeen and the Central Belt.
Blueprints indicate there would be room for more than 100 customers inside the proposed Caffe Nero.
The move comes amid brewing tensions between the global chain and rival Black Sheep Coffee, which opened its first city venue just yards away last year.
Caffe Nero last year flitted from its long-term address at the junction of Market Street and Union Street.
It came after Black Sheep Coffee declared war on its more established rival amid expansion plans.
The newcomer opened up at the former Patisserie Valerie in Union Square in May and, by August, had announced plans to take over the old Caffe Nero unit on the Granite Mile.
Now, with these plans, Caffe Nero would be entering into direct competition with Black Sheep Coffee for train station trade.
And there would be further competition with a Costa outlet at the front of the mall.