One of Birmingham’s coolest coffee houses is setting up shop at IM Properties’ (IMP) Blythe Valley Park on the outskirts of Solihull.
Java Lounge is bringing its speciality single-origin brews, teas, milkshakes, wraps and cakes to a purpose-built facility on the business park on junction 4 of the M42.
The construction of the new facility is underway and Java Lounge is expected to start operating in Q1 next year as IMP looks to enhance the amenities available for occupiers.
Java Lounge was selected as IMP’s development surveyor, Rachael Clarke, says they felt they were the right company to create a welcoming atmosphere for occupiers.
“The second of Java Lounge’s venues is just down the road from our 55 Colmore Row scheme, and we’d been very impressed. When our colleagues visited, they agreed it would be ideal for Blythe, so we were very pleased to get the deal done.
Bringing an independent coffee operator to the Park provides us with the flexibility to keep an open dialogue with Java Lounge and the Park’s occupiers to create the best amenity offer for the Park users and wider area.”
“The coffee shop will seat up to 50 people and so there will be space for people to enjoy the food and drinks, but it will also be a destination for meetings or quiet working.
Java Lounge was established in Moseley 11 years ago by Akram Almulad; aimed to reflect his Yemeni heritage and to honour the homeland of his parents for being the first country to grow coffee beans for the purpose of consumption.
Akram admits he was delighted when approached to open his third coffee shop on the 250-acre business park.
“I’ve always been ambitious, but was also determined not to try to grow the business too quickly. Each year I re-invested in our original Moseley store until I was happy with every aspect, and when the opportunity came along in Colmore Row, I felt it was the right time for us,” he says.
“The coffee house at Blythe will be something special, because we can design the space from scratch, we’re not going into existing premises. I used to work on Blythe Valley and so understand the occupiers and the opportunity well. Now the contract is signed, I’ll continue to work with IMP’s designers and Rachael to get everything just right for the launch.”
The new coffee shop at Blythe adds to a recent £5 million refurbishment of IMP’s One Central Boulevard Grade A office scheme on the park, which has already seen occupiers, Infor and Zenith sign up to ten year leases.