The latest development from The Coffee Club’s international conference in Nadi saw more than 278 franchise partners, executives, suppliers and family members roll up their sleeves for the chain’s first hands-on corporate social responsibility (CSR) refurbishment at Ralete Primary School on Moala Road. Delegates took part in an intensive one-day overhaul of classrooms, play areas and the school library as the group gathers in Fiji for its annual conference under the theme “Make It Matter.”
Volunteers carried out interior and exterior painting, repaired damaged areas, upgraded the school library and kindergarten play area, and assembled 45 sets of tables and chairs for Year 3 and 4 classrooms. The team also constructed five new picnic tables to support outdoor learning and activities. In addition to the infrastructure work, delegates donated 150 school bags filled with stationery and sporting equipment to students. A parallel CSR activity at nearby Vunayasi District School extended the initiative into the wider community.
Minor DKL Food Group chief executive Richard Hinson said the hands-on work was intended to embody the conference message of being “intentional in everything we do.” “Throughout The Coffee Club’s 37-year history, giving back to the community has always been something we are deeply passionate about,” Hinson said. “It’s a privilege to bring so many people from our network to Fiji, roll up our sleeves and make a tangible difference.” The conference programme runs through Thursday and includes business sessions, networking and celebrations of the brand’s global growth.
The project in Nadi was coordinated locally by family-owned Rosie Holidays Fiji in partnership with Australian event manager Follow the Sun, a collaboration Hinson said took around 18 months to plan and execute. Rosie Holidays head of operations Sunil Kumar was pictured coordinating painting teams on site. Groups and events specialist Eroni Bole — recently named Cultural Tourism Champion at the Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards 2025 — served as host and facilitator for the project, saying the level of work completed would normally take the local community years to fund and implement.
“The Coffee Club’s involvement has significantly accelerated the much-needed support the school and community needs,” Bole said, adding the upgrades will have “a positive and lasting impact for years to come.” Franchise partners and founders from the Coffee Club network, including Manish Soni, Nihir Patel, Emmanuel Drivas and Emmanuel Kokoris, were among those photographed working alongside local staff and volunteers.
Established in 1989, The Coffee Club has expanded to roughly 350 stores across 13 countries and more than 40 million customers. Organisers framed the Nadi CSR day as a practical expression of the brand’s purpose and a high-visibility component of this year’s conference, bringing international delegates into direct contact with the communities that host tourism and hospitality events in Fiji.
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