British Baker Services to invest zl. 7 mln to take Poles to Coffee Heaven

Baker Services of Britain plans to open a chain of 50 coffee bars across Poland within the next three years. Investment in Coffee Heaven, as the chain will be called, is likely to cost an estimated zl. 7 million. However, Michael Ovadenko, Baker's Country Manager in Poland, refused to disclose further financial details about the venture. According to Ovadenko, Poland could be the launching point for expansion into other countries in the region, making the Polish experiment crucial to the regional strategy. It is rumored that Baker's next targets are the Czech and Austrian markets. Baker will have to count on competition from Pozegnanie z Afryka (Out of Africa), the coffee bar chain selling the Tchibo brand. (Puls Biznesu, page 8)