John Elliott is a serial-entrepreneur from Larne, Northern Ireland. He’s best known for starting Clements Coffee, a chain of over 10 cafes launched in 1999 that has paved the way for Belfast’s now thriving coffee scene. (Though Clements is still the only café in NI to have held the highly acclaimed UK Barista Champion title!) Alongside his other three businesses, John also served as the General Manager of the Belfast Giant’s Ice Hockey Team after they almost went bankrupt in 2003. Across a four-year period, John put in place a strategic plan to enable the team to survive and he used all of his business experience to convince sponsors and fans alike that the Giants were a real positive thing for this wonderful city we call home. In today’s episode we talk about: His first memories and early experiences How and why he pivoted from sport into business What made him launch his first business The Clements Coffee Origin Story And the greatest challenges/successes he’s experienced along the way Check it out! // To see a 'treasure trove' of all things related to John (including a photo) please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/john-elliott-clements-coffee Best Of Belfast is Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast. We've shared 100+ hour-long conversations with incredible people from Northern Ireland. To find out more, or join 'The Producers Club' please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/ Cheers! — Matt

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related