Bakers + Baristas Connects Coffee Operations Across 62 Locations to a Single System

Simply purchasing a new espresso machine in a multi-location café chain does not standardize coffee quality.

The machine, grinder, recipe, employee training, technical service, and quality control need to operate within the same system.

Bakers + Baristas’ new coffee program covering 62 locations in the UK and Ireland focuses precisely on this point.

The chain consolidated a significant portion of its operations under a single solution, from coffee supply to equipment, barista training to technical service, as part of a five-year strategic agreement with Miko Coffee. It was announced that the nationwide rollout was completed in eight weeks.

What was established simultaneously at 62 locations?

The main espresso equipment announced as part of the program includes:

• 43 Rancilio Invicta three-group espresso machines

• 3 Rancilio Invicta two-group espresso machines

• Eureka Helios 65 and 75 grinders

• Eureka Mignon grinders for decaf

• Eureka automatic tampers

• Magrini blender and cold foam equipment

• Marco hot water boilers

These were established.

There is an important detail here.

The rollout covers the estate of 62 locations, but the number of new espresso machines announced is 46.

Therefore, it is not accurate to conclude that a new espresso machine was installed in each location. It is possible that some stores retained existing equipment or only replaced auxiliary equipment; the public announcement does not provide distribution on a store-by-store basis.

4 million cups a year complicates standardization

Bakers + Baristas states that approximately 4 million cups of coffee are served annually across its 62 locations.

Even a small deviation in quality at this volume can lead to significant results when scaled.

For example, if the grinder setting is different in one store, the extraction changes.

If the dosage standard is not maintained:

coffee cost,
flavor profile,
service time
and recipe consistency

can all be affected simultaneously.

Therefore, one of the key advantages of equipment standardization in multi-location chains is that employees see the same system across different stores.

If a barista moves from one location to another and the machine and workflow do not change completely, training can be scaled more easily.

Rollout completed in eight weeks

It is noteworthy that the program covering 62 locations was completed in just two months.

In equipment rollout projects, the main risk is not physically bringing the machine to the store.

The change needs to be made with as little sales loss as possible.

At each location:

removal of old equipment,
installation of new machines,
checking water and electricity connections,
grinder calibration,
recipe adjustment
and employee training

are all part of the same timeline.

As the rollout extends in a chain, the transition period during which two different systems operate simultaneously between stores also lengthens.

The eight-week implementation seems to have limited this transition period; however, the company did not share data on downtime or installation time per store.

Technical service is at the center of the agreement

The purchase price of coffee equipment is only part of the total cost.

The downtime of the machine can be a bigger problem.

Miko states that it has 30 field engineers, a dedicated workshop, and a service planning team across the UK to support the program.

This structure is particularly important for multi-location chains.

When an espresso machine breaks down, the issue is not just the maintenance bill.

A location can:

lose high-margin coffee sales,
reduce service speed,
close a section of the menu
and disrupt the customer experience.

Therefore, during the equipment procurement process, it is essential to question not only the technical specifications of the machine but also the service-level capability.

Single machine standard can simplify spare parts management

Using the same or similar equipment family across the estate can provide other operational advantages.

In a chain that uses many different espresso machines, the technical team has to deal with:

different parts,
different maintenance procedures,
different user interfaces
and different training documents.

Standardization can reduce this complexity.

Additionally, the central purchasing team can make maintenance contracts, consumables, and spare parts needs more predictable.

However, no data has been disclosed regarding the financial outcome of this in the Bakers + Baristas agreement. Therefore, it cannot be claimed that lower maintenance costs have been realized as a result.

Training is distributed through the “Train the Champion” model

The second phase of the rollout is employee training.

Miko is implementing the “Train the Champion” program for Bakers + Baristas. The model aims to equip certain team members at each location with advanced knowledge and skills to maintain coffee standards. It is stated that the program will be supported by regular quality audits and refresher training.

This model is noteworthy for multi-location businesses.

The central trainer cannot continuously reach every new employee in 62 stores.

Therefore, creating local “champions” or trainers distributes knowledge transfer.

However, there is a significant risk to the system:

when a champion leaves, the knowledge level in the store may decrease.

Thus, there is a need for not only the individual but also documentation and measurable quality control systems.

Calibration should be done more frequently than training

Espresso training should not be seen as a one-time certification.

The beans:

change as they age,
as temperature and humidity change,
and as grinder burrs wear out.

Therefore, the main standard for a multi-location chain should not be “the same grinder setting in every store.”

A more accurate standardization should be based on:

specific dosage,
brew ratio,
extraction time
and sensory target.

The barista should be able to adjust the grinder daily as needed to achieve the same result.

Coffee supply is also included in the single system

The Miko agreement is not limited to hardware.

Bakers + Baristas uses Puro Fairtrade Organic Coffee as its new main coffee and also states that it has added Portioli products for decaf.

Bakers + Baristas’ own site also describes its current coffee offerings as organic and Fairtrade.

The company and supplier state that Puro coffee is sourced from small producers in Peru, Honduras, and Ethiopia and supports World Land Trust projects. Since these are brand and supplier statements, they should not be evaluated as independent impact measurements regarding product performance or sustainability outcomes.

A more concrete operational issue is that coffee, equipment, and training are coordinated by the same partner.

Single supplier model is advantageous but can create dependency

The integrated model can simplify management for the chain.

A single partner provides:

coffee,
equipment,
technical service,
training,
menu development
and quality assurance.

In this case, the need for coordination between different suppliers decreases.

However, a five-year agreement can also create high supplier dependency.

The business needs to clarify the following issues during the contract phase:

service response time,
spare machine policy,
price revision mechanism,
coffee quality specification,
training frequency,
contract exit conditions.

Public sources do not disclose the commercial prices or SLA details of the Bakers + Baristas–Miko agreement.

New equipment alone does not prove efficiency

The equipment supplier and the business aim for the new system to enhance quality and operational reliability.

However, as of yet after the rollout:

average beverage ticket time,
waste rate,
machine downtime,
coffee sales growth,
customer satisfaction
or training compliance

data has not been published.

Therefore, statements like “new equipment accelerated service” or “improved coffee quality” are not verified results at this stage.

These can only be measurable if comparative KPIs are published.

What does it mean for multi-location coffee businesses in Turkey?

As chain coffee shops and bakery-café formats grow in Turkey, the equipment park is becoming more complex.

Diversity that is manageable in 10 stores can create problems in 50 stores.

For a business planning a new rollout, simply comparing:

boiler capacity,
number of groups
and price

is not sufficient.

At least the following six headings need to be evaluated together:

Service network: How quickly is intervention made when there is a malfunction?

Training: How is the standard maintained for new employees?

Spare parts: Are critical parts in stock in Turkey?

Standardization: Can the entire estate implement the same recipe target?

Downtime: What is the alternative plan when the machine is down?

Total cost of ownership: How much will maintenance, parts, and service cost over five years?

The machine price is only the beginning of this calculation.

Stafflink’s Opinion

In our view, the most important detail in the Bakers + Baristas project is not the 46 new espresso machines; it is the integration of coffee, equipment, maintenance, training, and quality control into a single rollout plan.

In multi-location coffee businesses, the problem is often not "not being able to find a good machine."

It is about running a well-functioning system in one store at the same level across 60 stores.

Equipment standardization can reduce this problem; however, this can only happen if technical service and employee training scale at the same pace.

Therefore, the right espresso machine for a chain is not just a machine that produces good espresso.

It is a machine that can be quickly serviced when it breaks down in the 62nd location and can be used correctly by a new employee.