Costa brews up a strategy for the future of coffee

Singapore

THE rise of the mobile-work culture may have sent many an employer scrambling to adapt, but at Costa Coffee, the phenomenon is one that has been embraced.

The layout of most of its outlets is telling: communal long tables bearing multiple power points are commonplace, and where the provision of Wi-Fi access was limited or unavailable five years ago, it is unlimited and free at Costa.

Christopher Rogers, managing director of the London-headquartered global coffee chain, said: "Coffeeshops fulfil a need in this world, where things are moving much more quickly and people want to be more flexible and agile in their work.

"They are a comfortable, safe environment for people to…