Popular independent coffee chain submits plans to open new shop in busy part of Northampton

The well-known Bewiched coffee chain, which started in 2010 in Wellingborough, could be opening another store in Northampton.

Plans have been submitted for new Bewiched signage to be installed at a new unit on The Causeway in Billing, next to Billing Aquadrome. The council has set a target date to approve or refuse these plans by October 22. An opening date has not yet been revealed. Bewiched has been contacted for comment.

The new store will have an external area of 162.5 square meters and an internal space of around 143.5 square meters (about 1,500 square feet), according to planning papers.

The coffee chain would join Subway and Greggs on the relatively new site, which also sits next to Oriental Paradise Chinese Restaurant.

Bewiched Coffee recently upgraded from its Grosvenor Centre unit opposite Primark to a larger space in the same centre, formerly occupied by Burtons Menswear.

The move coincides with a significant transformation at Billing Aquadrome. This summer, the holiday park benefited from a £12 million investment by its new owners, Meadow Bay Villages. Originally planning an £8 million investment, the owners decided to frontload an additional £4 million to fast-track new facilities, which are now complete.

The first Bewiched was opened in late November 2010 by Matt Fountain and today operates several shops across Northamptonshire and the Midlands.

Matt previously said: “I’ve lived in Northamptonshire from an early age, and in Northampton, I would see people going to Costa for a coffee and then grabbing a roll from Oliver Adams (Bakers). That business plan led to Bewiched, offering great coffee and great sandwiches under one roof.”

He added: “Getting into this market when you are competing against the monoliths of the coffee sector is very tough, but we think we can elevate the experience to new levels.”