Premium speciality coffee brand Bocca Felice is set to open a ‘AI-powered’ drive-thru coffee shop at Martin’s Properties’ Hadden Hill Retail Park in Didcot.
Bocca Felice has agreed a long-term lease for its first UK site at the retail park. The brand intends to open 100 AI-powered coffee shop drive-thru sites within the next two years. The concept, which has been designed by Sodaclick, uses “conversational voice AI technology” and is capable of making 350 coffees per hour.
Brook Stotesbury, head of commercial asset management and investment at Martin’s Properties, said: “We are very excited to be bringing this new concept to Hadden Hill, the first of its kind in the UK. Our investment into the site will create a new, highly sought after amenity for the area while increasing footfall and dwell time to the retail park, also benefiting the existing occupiers and we look forward to completing the works to bring this to fruition.”
Richard Bourne, CEO of Martin’s Properties, added: “As part of our ongoing active asset management, investment and expansion across our regional portfolio, we are delighted to announce this new lease agreement with Bocca Felice and to get started on delivering this unique concept led by our in-house development team. Our team is constantly finding ways to add value to our existing assets.
“The drive-thru market has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years in terms of both demand and innovation with many new concepts and this is one of the most pioneering brands around, so we are proud to play a key role in Bocca’s launch into the UK. As a future-focused investor, developer and asset manager, we are always looking at solutions that deliver the real estate of tomorrow and thus open up new demand demographics for our tenants and operators.”
ESH advised Martin’s Properties on the deal and Bocca Felice was represented by MVH Property.
