Crema cafe opens in Portsmouth's North End in former Lloyds bank, sharing building with The Collective beauty salon

Hospitalily entrepeneur Steve Madden, owner of coffee business Crema, has joined forces with Nikki Andrews, CEO of hair and beauty “co-working space” business The Collective. Both businesses are now based at 38 London Road, North End – which was a branch of Lloyds bank before it shut in 2021.

The partnership will see the new Crema cafe act as a reception area for up to 25 independent beauty businesses at the site, as well as serving general walk-in customers.

The new cafe is the second in the Crema coffee franchise, following another in Bournemouth.

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Steve, who is based in Bournemouth and currently commutes to Portsmouth, explained that the “complementary” style of commerce has been beneficial for everyone involved.

Steve said: “For us as a business, the idea is that we get the opportunity to operate in a location that normally is quite premium, and to have that additional footfall from the salon. Collaborating with loads of small businesses has been great. Everyone champions each other. People have embraced that something positive has gone into the former Lloyds bank building and that there’s something new in London Road.”

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Steve said that he has learnt a bit about the beauty industry through the collaboration. Though some trade comes from salon customers, Steve said he has learned that clients having treatments like lip fillers need to avoid hot drinks and those having eyelash treatments should avoid caffeine.Steve, who previously ran a restaurant called Urban Garden in Bournemouth, added that people sometimes assume indendent cafes are more expensive than chains – whereas customers at smaller coffee businesses often get more value for money.

He added: "It’s really encouraging – the locals have really taken to it. Everyone that comes in loves and independent, loves and story and loves that it adds value to the highstreet.”

You can find out more about The Collective – which already has sites in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Brighton and is set to open another in Southsea – here. You can find out more about Crema here.