Barracuda to introduce Costa coffee to its 217 pubs
Pub operator Barracuda Group](http://www.barracudagroup.co.uk/) is to roll out Costa coffee across its entire estate of 217 managed pubs following a trial.
Barracuda said it was the only pub company to do this on a national scale, although it follows a move by [JD Wetherspoon](http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/) to offer Lavazza coffee and 7am opening at its pubs. Barracuda said it expected Costa coffee to be on offer in 100 Barracuda pubs by Christmas this year, with the remainder coming on stream in 2011.
The company said it wanted to do more to capitalise on its food-led, all-day trading offer in its lead development brand, Smith & Jones, which is in the throes of redesigning.
The roll-out of Costa is being accompanied by the introduction of 9am opening in Barracuda's pubs and the launch of a new breakfast menu, in order to capitalise on important morning custom.
Mark McQuater, chief executive of Barracuda, commented: "We are delighted to introduce such a high quality and well known coffee brand across our pub estate. After a successful trial, the full roll-out is now roaring ahead. We are confident that Costa will be positively received by our customers, driving a substantial increase in coffee sales and further growing all-day trade in our pubs, building on our recent success in this area to date. We remain committed to continuing to broaden our customer offer and keeping Barracuda pubs at the forefront of industry trends."
Barracuda reports £336,000 loss for 2009 >>
Wetherspoon takes on coffee chains with 49p offer >>
By Neil Gerrard
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