Apostrophe, the upmarket café chain co-founded by a former investment banker, is opening three new London branches this year and is looking at Europe for opportunities for further expansion.
The group, which opened its first, 35-seat, café in the capital's Shoreditch in 2001, unveiled its eighth café late last month near St Paul's Cathedral and launches its ninth this week in Notting Hill.
Managing director and co-founder Amir Chen hopes to open a 10th café in Mayfair by the year's end and to secure a unit at Heathrow airport in 2007.
The chain, which bakes its own food on site each day, is like a French boulangerie/pâtisserie but in a modern setting. "It's a very global concept that is relevant to all big cities," said Chen, who plans to export the format to European cities such as Paris, Milan, Berlin and Barcelona.
He believes London can support 30 or so branches of the Apostrophe chain, and is keen to open in the City, Kensington and Chelsea, Richmond and Hampstead.