CXO INSIGHT

Tell us a bit more about your business and how it started

Creams Café is the UK ’ s leading dessert restaurant brand . Founded in 2008 by myself and my business partner , Balal Aqil , we felt that desserts offered an exciting opportunity in the food and beverage industry , due to their ability to excite the imagination . I loved the idea of creating an inviting and hospitable space that has just a touch of magic to it .

How has the business grown since it started and how do you ensure the brand continues to grow ?

Creams has grown massively . Back in the day it was just myself and Balal and to get things off the ground we both worked every position you can imagine , from accountant to electrician to kitchen porter and everything in between . We now employ over 1,000 people and have stores across the country .

For me , desserts definitely hold a sense of nostalgia of days The appetite for Creams was there from the beginning which spent at the seaside with my family , getting an ice cream if I had was amazing . We launched the business hoping for success , but behaved ! I love the idea of bringing that once in a while experience I don ’ t think we ever imagined it would go the way it has . We had to the everyday , which is what we have done with Creams . people approaching us from the offset that were super keen to get involved , and I think this is because we cultivated such a strong brand identity . It was a logical step to franchise Creams , and I really love that we provide people with the means to create their own success . In terms of growth for the business , I think it ’ s our constant innovation and drive to be bigger and better that keeps this going . We are always looking for ways to wow our customers and keep them engaged with the brand .

What ’ s the business ’ approach to management ?

We take a lot of pride in the people at Creams . While we have close to 100 stores nationwide , we really wanted to keep that ‘ small business ’ vibe , that is often more collaborative as well as communicative , and free of so much red tape .

Our approach is open and supportive , always encouraging discussion and innovation . We love to push franchisees to take

Co-Founder and CEO , Adam Mani

“ We want to ensure Creams positively contributes to local communities as well as the planet , and that we ’ re always giving back .”

One of the UK ’ s leading dessert brands , Creams , was established in 2008 by Balal Aqil and Adam Mani . There are now close to 100 stores nationwide selling freshly prepared desserts ranging from waffles and sundaes to cakes and sorbets . 2020 was one of the company ’ s most successful and busiest years and it employs more than 1,000 people . Co-Founder and CEO , Adam Mani , tells Intelligent CXO about how Creams plans to expand internationally and where he gets his inspiration from .

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