Columbus Café Announces Canadian Expansion

Columbus Cafe at Carrefour Laval (Image: Think Retail)

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As the local coffee shop industry looks to rebound from a difficult time over the last two years, popular France-based brand Columbus Café & Co is planning an expansion in Quebec with four new cafes.

Founded in 1994 as the first coffee-shop chain in France, the brand is considered to be one of the contenders to fill the void that Starbucks left when the Seattle-based chain closed a significant part of its storecount in 2020.

The new cafes set to open in the province include:

CF Carrefour Laval (910 sq. ft.)
262 Ste-Catherine Street West (former Starbucks)
2153 Ste-Catherine Street West (1883 sq. ft.)
269 Rue Sicard, Sainte-Thérèse (2088 sq. ft.)

The Rue Sicard location was announced as its first drive-thru cafe in Quebec.

Columbus Cafe at Carrefour Laval (Image: Think Retail)

Columbus Cafe has partnered with Canadian brokerage Think Retail to launch its Canadian stores, and is seeking additional locations in Montreal with high-traffic street front locations with an optimal size of 1,500 square feet. The brand would also consider the right fit in regional malls, open-air centres and other non-conventional locations according to Think Retail.

“It’s an exciting time for this marque global brand as it makes it mark in North America,” shared Tony Flanz, President & CEO of Think Retail. “The Think Retail team is proud to work with this forward-thinking company that epitomizes quality on every level, from its delicious coffee to gourmet menu and fabulous branding.”

The first North American café made its debut on Mont-Royal Avenue in Montreal in 2020 and has since added locations on Park Avenue and last week with the new 910-sq.-ft. cafe at CF Carrefour Laval.

Columbus Café & Co is looking to open about 80 locations in the next three years, which means the expansion is ongoing and will be significant.