14
Franchise New Zealand Winter 2025 Year 34 Issue 02
or Dear Deer Coffee
Roasting Bar’s Director,
Matthew Wiche, there’s a
simple passion driving him:
the love of a great brew. His
business partner, Yukichi
Shikano, hails from a long
line of Japanese coffee
connoisseurs (his great-uncle
and father are both renowned
in Japan for their contributions
to Japan’s love of coffee). Matt
explains, “Coffee culture has
been distilled within Yuki’s family for generations.” Branching out to find
his own path, Yukichi moved to New Zealand and opened the first
Dear Deer Coffee store in Onehunga in 2018. The rest, as they say, is history.
Now well established with five stores open across Auckland city,
Dear Deer Coffee has brought the Japanese pour-over style of coffee to
our shores. With the freshness and flavour of the beans paramount to
a great cup of pour-over coffee, Matt explains they needed a special
weapon. Enter the Arakawa jet roaster.
“We use a special jet roast coffee machine from Japan. This enables us
to roast beans specifically to match a customer’s taste, developing the
flavour profiles of the bean in a very short period of time.”
Training up coffee experts
For those interested in joining a niche coffee revolution with
Dear Deer Coffee, Matt says that new franchisees are set up to succeed
from day one. Every new franchisee undergoes a comprehensive four-
week training program, firstly at the flagship Ellerslie store, before
transitioning to the franchisee’s new café. Training is expertly led by
Dear Deer’s ‘coffee sommelier’ Shintaro, who is also responsible for
developing new signature blends.
Throughout the training, franchisees learn professional barista skills,
including using the jet roaster machine. The training also equips new
franchisees with the business knowledge they’ll need to thrive, including
inventory management, and how to deliver excellent customer service.
This programme is included in the initial investment, which ranges from
$200,000 to $250,000, depending on chosen location and shop fit
out. The initial investment also includes all speciality equipment and
inventory needed to set up, and the franchise fee.
Backing franchisees every step of the way
When asked what makes someone an ideal franchisee for Dear Deer Coffee,
Matt explains, “If you have a strong entrepreneurial spirit (and a strong
love of coffee) you will be best placed to succeed within Dear Deer Coffee’s
franchising model.”
Reflecting on Dear Deer’s current franchisees, Matt says, “They’re
passionate about good coffee and excellent customer service. That’s
really what it comes down to, and that’s what we’re looking for in our
franchisees. We get a lot of younger people come through that are
interested in starting up their own business and developing some
business skills, which we’re showing them along the way.”
Integrating into the community
Dear Deer Coffee’s ethos differs from other coffee chains when it comes
to site selection. Matt says that, rather than looking to be amongst the
hubbub of the CBD, they’re more interested in high-growth residential
areas, “We want to be a community centre where people can come
together and have a really good coffee.” Dear Deer Coffee provides
expert guidance on site selection, assistance with regulatory approval,
design and fitout, and marketing support at a national level.
With franchise opportunities available
in suburban neighbourhoods of major
cities like Auckland, Wellington, and
Christchurch, as well as regional towns
like Nelson and Tauranga, now is a great
time to take control of your future. Matt
says, “If you’re interested in bringing
a taste of Japan’s coffee culture to
your community and creating a space
for people to meet up over a seriously
delicious brew, then Dear Deer Coffee
wants to hear from you. Get in touch
today to learn more.”
Dear Deer Coffee
Roasting Bar
www.deardeercoffee.co.nz
Contact
Matt Wiche
027 257 7954
matt.wiche@
deardeercoffee.co.nz
Advertiser Info
Join the niche coffee revolution
Opportunity: Food & Beverage
Doing it for the
love of coffee
Dear Deer Coffee Roasting Bar is
bringing a taste of Japan’s coffee
culture to New Zealand communities.