Coffee shop, approaching second anniversary in Northampton, continues to adapt to what the community wants

A coffee shop, which will celebrate its second anniversary in Northampton in a couple of months, has continued to adapt to what the community wants.

The Coffee Press, in Harlestone Road, first opened in November 2021 and is under the ownership of Harry Barnes, who also owns Jimmy’s Sports Bar next door.

Ahead of opening, the team hoped the coffee shop would provide a space for people to both “chill and work”.

This venture began as owner Harry wanted somewhere nice to visit in the area he lived without having to travel far. His aim was not to make a profit but to fill a gap in the market, and this has been well-received by the St James community.

Sam Noble, operations manager at The Coffee Press, last spoke to this newspaper in November 2022 – marking a year since opening.

She has now shared that the coffee shop is doing “really well” and has established a base of regular customers.

The team has continued to take on feedback from visitors, and has added and changed things to meet the needs of the community.

With a different variety of cakes and food offerings to last year, Sam said: “We’ve figured out what works in the area and what doesn’t. It’s been trial and error.”

When asked what customers like most about the coffee shop and what keeps them coming back for more, Sam said: “It’s different from anything else in the area.

“People can just sit here and work all day – and a lot of people do. It’s a really chilled space and we have a friendly team.”

A highlight for The Coffee Press team is that a number of Saints rugby players are among their regular customers, and have been for more than a year.

Sam said: “Our reach is getting further and further all the time now. It’s not just sticking to this area, we have people visiting from all over Northampton.”

The operations manager says the coffee shop’s biggest challenge has been getting some people to understand what the venue is all about.

As they are an independent coffee shop, as opposed to a typical cafe, Sam says some people are not used to the coffee niche.

One of the biggest changes since last November is that The Coffee Press menu is available to order next door in Jimmy’s Sports Bar.

“There might be designated drivers in the sports bar who want a latte,” said Sam. “Introducing the menu in the sports bar was a big thing.”

Though the two venues were kept separate initially, the team is glad they are now working collaboratively.

Sam said: “It’s about letting customers know we care about their opinions and take them on board. All the changes made have come from them.”

Cooked breakfasts remain available to order at the weekend and hot lunches are served everyday.

The coffee shop is also still available to order from on both Just Eat and Deliveroo.

For more information and to keep up with The Coffee Press, visit the business’ Instagram page here.