Another competitor for the future arrival of Starbucks has opened shop in Bulgaria – Flocafé, a Greek chain part of the larger Vivartia family.
Flocafé Lounge Bar & Restaurant, which opened its doors on May 13 2008, takes the place of the Goody's on Sveta Nedelya Square in central Sofia; Goody's is also part of Vivartia.
At a Kaffeklastch-come-news conference held the morning of April 14 at the newly opened café-come-restaurant, one of the directors of the company, who modestly wished to remain anonymous, said that the espresso bar was namely “a place to relax and enjoy life with your friends”.
The establishment's philosophy is based on the spiral, which is the oldest symbol in the civilised world. The spiral is also part of Flocafé's logo, thus connecting the old to the modern.
And it is modern – the venue has been outfitted in what was described as trendy European design, its sleek greys and browns accented with purple and red. Entering, one first encounters a casual, relaxing café area. Proceeding to the back of the establishment, one reaches the bar (yes, alcohol is served) and then can take a left turn to the dining area.
Flocafé offers everything from that morning coffee (27 concoctions available) to a late-night dinner and drink with friends. There is also a summer garden area, secluded from the buzz of the roads.
The menu features items like espresso (americano, normale, macchiato or con panna, all 2.30 leva), hot chocolate (3.50 leva), milk shakes, other sweet coffee drinks and some teas; sweets like profiteroles (4.80 leva), muffins or ice cream sundaes (7.10 leva); and salads, sandwiches, little pizzas and other quick-service, assuredly fresh foods. A selection of wines by the bottle or glass goes alongside the harder offerings at the blue-backlit bar.
The Vivartia executive told The Sofia Echo that Flocafé differs from chains like Starbucks in that it has a wider menu, it offers alcoholic beverages, and it provides full service – waitstaff take the customer's orders where the customer is seated, and then deliver. Three elements assured Flocafé's success, he said: the location, the menu mix and the service provided. He emphasised that trained, polite and accommodating personnel were key to good operations.
Flocafé was established in 1994 in Athens; today, there are nearly 80 outlets in Cyprus and Greece. Another Bulgarian location is in the works, most likely to be in one of the other larger cities in the countyr. Vivartia owns, in addition to Flocafé and Goody's, what was formerly Delta Holdings, which consists, in Bulgaria, of Chipita and the milk company OMK.
