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 The first Dulce retail store was opened in Rink Street in Port Elizabeth in 1984 by Hubert Stempowski . Dulce became synonymous with a high quality ice-cream product in the Eastern Cape. The product was manufactured on site and sold from the machines to the customer across the counter ie “straight from the cow to the cone”. After numerous requests from people wanting to set up replicas of the Rink Street store then run by Lee Caldecott, the Dulce Café Franchise Operation was established in the early 90′s. The experience gained by developing and running these stores was the ideal way to create a winning concept, business system and menu. Mike Pullen, now the MD of Dulce International (operating the brand name outside of SA and SADC), joined the group in 1994, contributing his management and financial skills. Between 1995 and 2003, over 25 more stores were opened nationally, concentrating on regional shopping centres, and small towns or niches where they had captured markets. The 2 years from 2001 was a period of consolidation after a management buy out of the Franchise, and the real Dulce Café Franchise of today was born.
The coffee shop industry had become saturated in the South African market and especially in regional shopping centres. Dulce therefore carried out extensive research throughout Europe and the UK in order to establish a certain concept that would be more suitable for alternative market environments and require less capital, hence the establishment of the Dulce Espresso concept. The Dulce Espresso Bars can be found in captured markets such as hospitals, universities, business parks, casino’s, hotels and airports. Many of these smaller outlets have the ability to achieve the same bottom line as the larger outlets, because of their lower overhead cost structures. What makes Dulce stand out from the overcrowded coffee market? “Dulce has captured a niche in the market by placing ourselves strategically between a restaurant and a coffee shop, classifying ourselves as a continental café or espresso bar in the true European tradition by serving 4 major products, namely, food, liquor, coffee and ice-cream”. READ MORE...
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