Costa Coffee, the authentic Italian branded coffee franchise and the UK's largest coffee retailer, has appointed its first Franchise Director for the Middle East Region. Paul Smith will be based in Dubai and will be the interface between the Middle East franchise operations and UK brand management. Costa Coffee currently has 40 outlets in seven countries in the region.Paul Smith is a UK national with Middle East experience gained with branded consumer businesses, including Starbucks and Pizza Express. Mr. Smith, who holds a bachelor's degree in food marketing and a master's degree in organizational change, spent 18 years with Marks and Spencer in the UK, working in a variety of senior management positions.The Costa brothers opened the first Costa Coffee store in London in 1978. Following the acquisition of Costa Coffee by Whitbread plc in 1995, the business experienced strong growth, building a network of over 400 outlets by 2003, making it the UK's largest coffee retailer.
