Our annual Columbus Coffee Awards night saw our network of Franchisees, Suppliers and Support Office staff come together in Auckland to celebrate our 30th birthday and the people of Columbus Coffee.

We started off the night by taking a look back over the past 30 years and heard interviews from the four Columbus Coffee Founders - Frances Hollis, Lance Wyatt, John Burton & David Burton as well as Graeme Tait & John Ashby on what it takes to make a successful Franchise.

Following on from there we recognised our long service Franchisees, acknowledged the Franchisees that were finalists in their categories and celebrated those that came out on top. Take a look at our Finalists and Winners below as well as our image gallery from the evening:

Local Marketing Award

Winner:

Columbus Coffee E-Hayes Invercargill

Finalists:

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Queenstown

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Pukekohe

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Wanaka

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Ferrymead

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Whanganui

Digital Marketing Award

Winner:

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Pukekohe

Finalists:

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Ferrymead

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Hornby

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Queenstown

Columbus Coffee E-Hayes Invercargill

Giving Back Award

Winner:

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Pukekohe

Finalists:

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Queenstown

Columbus Coffee Mitre10 MEGA Whanganui

Columbus Coffee E-Hayes

Columbus Coffee Glen Eden

People’s Choice Award

Winner:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Wanaka

Finalists:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Pukekohe

Columbus Coffee Timaru

Columbus Coffee Glen Eden

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Nelson

Customer Service Award

Winner:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Whanganui

Finalists:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Queenstown

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Ferrymead

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Wanaka

Columbus Coffee Timaru

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Invercargill

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Dunedin

Brand Food Award

Winner:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Queenstown

Finalists:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Whanganui

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Ferrymead

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Napier

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Invercargill

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Dunedin

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Wanaka

Food Innovation Award

Winner:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Queenstown

Finalists:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Ferrymead

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Dunedin

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Whanganui

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Wanaka

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Napier

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Invercargill

Manager of the Year

Winner:

Wade Vivian from Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Whanganui

Finalists:

Joel Emms from Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Invercargill

Carol Medland from Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Napier

Juliet Virtue from Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Hornby

Lisa Walker-Daniels from Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Gisborne

Lauren Moon from Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Oamaru

Business Growth Award

Winner:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Ferrymead

Finalists:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Te Awamutu

Columbus Coffee Whakatane

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Nelson

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Queenstown

Operational Excellence Award

Winner:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Queenstown

Finalists:

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Pukekohe

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Whanganui

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Dunedin

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Invercargill

Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Ferrymead

New Franchisee of the Year Award

Winner:

Jasmine Douglas & Anurag Mishra, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Ferrymead

Finalists:

Jessie Daly, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Wanaka

Lalit Ahuja, Columbus Coffee Richmond

Akash Khullar, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Te Awamutu

Mandeep Kumar & Pardeep Kumar, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Tauranga

2025 Franchisee of the Year

Winners:

John Oaten & Alex McMillan, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Queenstown

Finalists:

Hayden & Sarah Gibson, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Whanganui

Jason Smith, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Invercargill

Debbie Hodges, Columbus Coffee E-Hayes Invercargill

Leo & Belen Rojas, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Dunedin

Dean Litten, Michael Scott & Gary Middleton, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Pukekohe

Andrew Smith, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Hornby

10 Year Service Award

Marion & Carla Moreno, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA Te Rapa

Stuart Jones, Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 MEGA New Plymouth

15 Year Service Award

Nigel & Carmeena Heney, Columbus Coffee Ashburton

Click here for the full image gallery.