A Recipe for Growth: How Koko’S Went from Pop-Up to Three Cafés

What does it take to turn a deeply personal idea into a growing hospitality brand? Sanela Hajadervic, founder of Koko’S, went from a food trailer launched during the pandemic to three cafés in Buckinghamshire’s Chiltern Hills, by staying remarkably close to the original vision: distinctive homemade food, genuine hospitality and spaces where people want to linger. In this interview with Helen Dwight, Sanela talks about starting small, testing the market, and maintaining a strong brand as the business scales.

Helen: You originally came to the UK as a student. What led you to stay and eventually build your life and business here?

Sanela: I came to the UK intending to eventually return to my native Yugoslavia. Then war broke out in 1991 and everything changed. Returning was no longer safe, and like so many people affected by the conflict, I experienced profound personal loss. At the same time, I had grown to love life in the UK. Gradually, I realized this was no longer somewhere I was simply studying or staying temporarily. It had become home, the place where I would build my future.

Helen: When did you realize that cooking could become more than a passion — that it could become a business?
Sanela: Cooking had always been part of who I am. My family constantly encouraged me to open a café because they loved my food. But turning something you love into a business requires a different kind of confidence. After losing my sister during the war, followed later by other personal losses, I found it difficult emotionally to take that leap. But, I never stopped cooking and experimenting. Food became both a creative outlet and a source of comfort. The idea of opening a café stayed with me for years. Eventually, after meeting my husband and experiencing another loss, something shifted. I realized I could keep waiting for the right moment, or I could start creating the life and business I had imagined. Looking back, what felt like heartbreak became a catalyst for action.

Helen: And that brings us to the unusual name. Why Koko’S?

Sanela: I once came across a tiny kitten and immediately fell in love. I hesitated to take her home because, after everything I had experienced, I was afraid of becoming attached and facing another loss. That night I dreamed about her and decided it was a sign. I brought her home and called her Koko. She was with me everywhere for two wonderful months before being diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis, which at the time was untreatable. Losing her was devastating. But Koko also became the emotional spark that pushed me to stop postponing my dream. The “S” stands for Sanela. For me, the name represents turning something painful into something positive and creative.

Helen: Koko’S began in a very unconventional way — with a food trailer during the pandemic. How did that happen?

Sanela: Ironically, on the same day Koko died, I received a call about a potential café location in Whitechapel, London. That conversation made me seriously consider starting the business. The London location ultimately didn’t feel right — which turned out to be fortunate because shortly afterwards COVID-19 arrived. But instead of abandoning the idea, my husband and I changed the model. We bought a food trailer and placed it at the bottom of our garden in Shardeloes, close to a popular walking route. From a business perspective, it was a simple proposition: make a relatively modest investment, test the concept and find out whether there was genuine demand.

I already had the menu. I knew what kind of food I wanted to serve and what I wanted the experience to feel like. We launched in May 2020. My husband made tables and stools from tree trunks, and I made cushions for the seating area. Every loaf, bun and pastry came from recipes I had developed and refined over many years, with an emphasis on food that was light and nutritious without sacrificing flavor. The response was almost immediate. During lockdown, people were walking every day and discovering us along the route. We added flowers, music and covered seating and gradually created an environment where people wanted to stop rather than simply buy something and leave.

Within a few months, we had recovered our initial investment. That was the moment we knew we had more than an interesting idea. We had a concept customers were responding to.

Helen: That sounds almost like a textbook example of testing a business concept before scaling it. What made you decide it was time for a permanent location?

Sanela: The trailer was successful, but it was also weather-dependent, so the next logical step was finding a permanent home. Our first café in Beaconsfield Old Town was exactly what I had imagined: intimate, charming and almost like a small Parisian café. Gerrards Cross was a very different proposition. It was a much larger location near the station, with a full kitchen and basement space. Strategically, that became important because it gave us the infrastructure to centralize much of our food preparation.

Our third location in Amersham Old Town followed. It is close to the memorial gardens and well positioned for both the local community and visitors. What has been particularly interesting is how the customer base has expanded. We have a strong local following, but online reviews are also bringing us visitors from further afield, including tourists travelling through the Chilterns towards Oxford.

Helen: The café sector is incredibly competitive. How have you differentiated Koko’S?

Sanela: I’ve never spent too much time worrying about competitors. My focus has always been on making Koko’S distinctive enough that customers have a reason to choose us. Our bread is an important part of that. It forms the foundation of many of our signature dishes, from sandwiches and pittas to sweet and savory buns. We developed our own “egg pans,” and more recently we’ve introduced homemade jams and chutneys. We’ve seen other businesses replicate elements of what we do, but I tend to see that as validation. You can copy a dish more easily than you can copy an entire experience. Customers come back because they have favorites. They want our bacon roll, our tuna melt or a particular homemade pastry. That kind of loyalty is incredibly important because it means the relationship goes beyond convenience.

Helen: What has been the biggest lesson in scaling from one operation to three locations?

Sanela: Consistency. A customer shouldn’t have a completely different experience depending on which Koko’S they visit. The food, quality and sense of welcome all need to reflect the same brand. As you grow, maintaining those standards becomes more challenging and more important. At the same time, consistency cannot mean standing still. We keep our core menu stable, but we’re always experimenting with new dishes and looking at how each location can evolve.

Gerrards Cross, for example, has an alcohol licence, which opens up opportunities for evening events and different kinds of experiences. Growth doesn’t necessarily mean simply opening more cafés. It can also mean finding new ways to generate value from the spaces and customer relationships you already have. The other big lesson is people. As Koko’S grows, I want our team to feel they are contributing to the brand rather than simply working in it. Giving people room to bring forward ideas and creativity helps build a much stronger culture.

Helen: You’ve talked about food, customer experience, operations and culture. How do you personally measure success?

Sanela: Financial sustainability is obviously essential — without it, there is no business. But I have never defined success purely by revenue. I wanted to create something larger than myself: something lasting, meaningful and connected to my love of nature, food, people and community. For me, one of the strongest measures of success is whether people want to come back. If someone walks into Koko’S, feels genuinely welcomed, enjoys the food and remembers the experience enough to return — or recommends us to someone else — then we are doing something right.

Helen: Finally, what would you tell someone who has a business idea but keeps waiting for the right moment?

Sanela: For a long time, fear stopped me from taking action. I was grieving, overwhelmed and unsure of myself. Eventually I realized that waiting until you feel completely ready can become another way of not starting. So my advice is simple: start moving. That doesn’t mean taking a huge financial risk on day one. Our own experience shows that you can start small, test an idea, listen to customers and build from there. Trust your instincts, but also pay attention to what the market is telling you. Stay open to unexpected opportunities. And don’t underestimate the value of taking one small step before you feel completely ready. Sometimes that first step is what creates the next opportunity.

Helen: Thank you for sharing your story. By going through rapid validation and maintaining an emphasis on brand consistency, you were able to achieve a three site expansion. Well done!

If you are in the area, make sure to visit one of the Koko’S Cafés !