The beloved local cafe chain, CIBO Espresso, is set to be rebranded as Gloria Jean’s after Queensland’s Retail Food Group bought the business for $2.7m.
With 22 retail locations, including 18 family-owned franchises and four company-owned sites, Retail Food Group will gain immediate access to all CIBO locations across Adelaide, with plans to transition them into Gloria Jean’s stores.
CIBO was founded by Roberto Cardone, Salvatore Pepe, Angelo Inglese, and Claudio Ferraro, from a North Adelaide restaurant in 1996. The first CIBO Espresso location opened on Rundle Street in 2000. From these humble beginnings, CIBO quickly grew into one of Adelaide’s most popular cafe chains.
With locations in all corners of the state, the Italian-style cafes have become a staple for locals. From coffee catch-ups with friends to quick mid-day pick-me-ups, CIBO’s classic Italian charm and delicious coffee are what made it so appealing over the years.
Now, we are not only at risk of losing CIBO forever but with the change comes a potential risk to South Australian jobs. Across the 22 CIBO locations, hundreds of staff are directly employed. CIBO also supports hundreds more indirectly, as its coffee, gelato, and food items are locally produced.
Across the state, people are rallying together to save CIBO from being replaced.
“As someone who is deeply connected to this community, I’m breaking my silence. And I’m asking you—our customers, our friends, our fellow South Australians—if you’ve ever enjoyed the rich taste of Cibo Espresso, if you’ve ever had a conversation over that red-and-white cup, if you’ve ever been a part of what makes this brand so special… now is the time to stand with us,” shared Tiana Capponi, who is a part of the family behind CIBO Glenelg.
“This isn’t just about one business. It’s about keeping South Australian identity, passion, and pride alive. Let’s not let some faceless corporation erase 20 years of hard work, heart, and soul that Cibo and the families behind it have poured into this state,” she stated.
One of the founders, Roberto Cardone, spoke to Jonno Edwards from FIVEAA about the acquisition.
“It’s another large private equity company behind the sale. Adamantem Capital is the owner at the moment and now they’ll sell to Retail Food Group.
“What I didn’t like about it was that they were going to convert the stores to Gloria Jean’s. And it just doesn’t you know, when I look at it, it just doesn’t add up very well for me. If you think about it, in Glenelg there already is a Gloria Jean’s, then you’re going to have two. In some shopping centres, Gloria Jean’s works quite well as a business model, but in a lot of metropolitan inner city sites that CIBO has, it’s just not the same fit,” Roberto said.
In response to the news, a petition has been made to help save CIBO. If you are keen to get involved, you can sign the petition at, https://www.savecibo.com.au.
“I really hope they (Retail Food Group) kind of come to their senses and realise actually, they’ve got some CIBO Espresso stores that work really well and we shouldn’t be changing them,” shared Roberto.
For more information about CIBO Espresso, click here.
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