Bocca Felice, a premium speciality coffee brand, is set to open the UK’s first AI-powered drive-thru coffee shop at Martin’s Properties’ Hadden Hill Retail Park in Didcot.
Hadden Hill Retail Park was acquired by Martin’s Properties in 2020 and currently comprises three units, totalling 41,909sq ft, let to Halfords, Pets at Home and B&M Retail.
Bocca Felice Limited has agreed a new, long-term lease for its first UK site at Hadden Hill, with the new, bespoke drive-thru unit set to be delivered in the next six months.
The AI-powered drive-thru concept has been designed by Sodaclick, using conversational voice AI technology, adding a human touch to the customer experience of ordering. The site will also incorporate highly productive coffee machines capable of making 350 coffees per hour, ensuring swift service even at peak times.
Brook Stotesbury, head of commercial asset management and investment at Martin’s Properties, commented: “We are very excited to be bringing this new concept to Hadden Hill, the first of its kind in the UK. Our investment into the site will create a new, highly sought after amenity for the area while increasing footfall and dwell time to the Retail Park, also benefiting the existing occupiers, and we look forward to completing the works to bring this to fruition.”
Located adjacent to the Tesco Superstore in Didcot, the retail park is in an affluent commuter town, with extensive residential development on site and in the pipeline. Planning was secured for the drive-thru in January 2025 and Faircloth Construction is appointed as contractor.
Richard Bourne, CEO at Martin’s Properties, said: “The drive-thru market has gone from strength to strength in recent years in terms of both demand and innovation with many new concepts and this is one of the most pioneering brands around, so we are proud to play a key role in Bocca’s launch into the UK. As a future-focused investor, developer and asset manager, we are always looking at solutions that deliver the real estate of tomorrow and thus open up new demand demographics for our tenants and operators.”
ESH advised Martin’s Properties on the lease agreement and Bocca Felice was represented by MVH Property.
