Oldham café is top hospitality brand in national competition

Oldham's Rhode Island Coffee has been recognised as one of the UK’s Favourite Local Businesses in a national competition organised by Miconex.

Over 4,000 votes were cast for over 1,000 different businesses from across the UK in the competition, covering all sectors including retail and hospitality, with Rhode Island Coffee in sixth place overall and the only hospitality brand in the top six.

Independent retail businesses made up the top 5 UK Favourite Local Businesses in the competition, with Annie Mo’s in Aberdeen in first place, W. Hurst and Son from the Isle of Wight in second place, Sisters and Misters in Falkirk, Scotland in third, the Ethical Gift Shop and Refillery in Aberdeenshire in fourth, Yorkshire-based toy shop Games Crusade in fifth, and Rhode Island Coffee in sixth.

Founded by Raj Ruia in 2004, Rhode Island Coffee is a family run, independent chain of coffee shops with eight locations in the North West; Altrincham, Blackburn, Burnley, Chorley, Crewe, Oldham, Stockport and Warrington.

Rhode Island Coffee is part of the recently-introduced Oldham Gift Card, introduced by Oldham Council to lock spend into the community and support ‘shop local’.

Raj said: “We are immensely proud to be the highest-ranking hospitality local business in the country.

"It is an honour to rank so highly in the competition and is testament to our amazing team in Oldham and loyal customers.

"I think people have voted for us in Oldham because we have become part of the fabric of the Oldham community, and we have a highly passionate team under Samantha's leadership.

"We also serve world class coffee with a smile and have a great range of indulgent treats for our customers.

“In 2025, we will continue to develop our product offering as well as some plans to enhance the look and feel of the store.

"We are also going to continue to be involved with events in Oldham. The future is bright.”

Fintech Miconex provides the technology for the Oldham Gift Card and many other Town and City Gift Card programmes across the UK.

Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex - he said: “The diversity of Town and City Gift Cards, and the range of businesses they support – from cafés to restaurants, shops to salons, hotels to attractions – is what makes them unique.

"Seeing a much loved Oldham café and hospitality brand take a top spot in this national UK’s Favourite Local Business competition is fantastic, showing how valued hospitality brands are within our communities.

“In our 2024 research, 98% of people said support for local was important to them, and 82% said supporting local businesses has become more important to them over the past 12 months.

"Local gift cards like the Oldham Gift Card not only offer uneatable local choice, they offer tangible support for local businesses of all types and sizes.”

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