Coffee enterprise leaves bitter taste
A FORMER Zarraffa’s Coffee businessman has turned to marketing a weight-loss system after selling his franchise and seeing his company wound up over a tax debt.
UK-born James Williams, 47, is the sole director of Bean Away Southport Pty Ltd, which traded as Zarraffa’s Coffee Ferry Rd Drive Thru between September 2013 and August this year. The store is located at Southport Park Village, south of Southport Park and opposite The Southport School.
On July 12 an application was brought forward by the Australian Tax Office to wind up the company. That was granted by the Federal Court in Brisbane on August 16.
Tim Michael, of KPMG, was appointed liquidator and costs were awarded to the tax office for $3035.
Mr Michael did not return multiple calls or respond to requests for comment. Mr Williams, who is the president of Gold Coast Basketball and a former business partner of ex-NBA star Shane Heal, declined to comment when contacted by the Bulletin.
A Zarraffa’s spokeswoman said the Ferry Rd drivethrough franchise was sold on June 28 to “a long-term Zarraffa’s franchisee group”.
Mr Williams doubled his number of outlets when he opened the Ferry Rd outlet in 2013 with wife Bernadette. It was the 64th Zarraffa’s store at the time. The couple had another Ferry Rd Zarraffa’s store and Mr Williams was quoted by the Bulletin saying they enjoyed “great patronage” at their first shop.
”I love the brand and the product and for us it isn’t a job, it’s our life – and our staff understand this also,” Mr Williams said in 2013.
“Ultimately, we thought the location was too good to pass up and we hope that our customers, new and old, will think so too.”
Mr Williams’ Facebook profile lists him as working as a network marketer at Isagenix. The profile shows frequent trips taken by the couple to Isagenix conferences in Australia and New Zealand.
Isagenix is a private company based in the US that sells dietary supplements and personal care products.
Its business model relies upon marketing distributors who are required to actively recruit new “members” to earn money.