A POPULAR coffee shop has opened its latest branch inside shipping container.

Hi Coffee specialises in outlets at transport hubs, including on a platform in Newport train station. They have opened a branch today which will serve the city's bus users.

Jonathan Hill is the man behind the brand, and opened his first Hi Coffee outlet at the train station.

The container is housed inside the bus station entrance of Friars Walk and serves coffee, drinks, sandwiches and snacks.

Mr Hill said: "We decided to use a shipping container to create a simple, but logical solution to an empty space. I saw the space when I was shopping and I saw the potential it had.

“We pitched the idea to Friars Walk, and when we told them about the shipping container they were really excited. The new owners of the shopping centre love the idea.

“I would like to see more people use ideas like the shipping containers in empty space to create something.”

Getting the container into the building was the biggest problem for the company, and they considered a number of ways to get it inside.

“We looked at taking the glass out and then putting it back in,” Mr Hill said. “In the end we decided to cut it up into pieces and assemble it inside the building.

“People are building homes out of shipping containers, and if you can do that then you can have shops in them. We actually though about making this a double decker or have a mezzanine area on top, but we will see how that goes. We have plenty of seating for customers at the moment.”

Located in the heart of the city, the coffee shop is central to the brand as Mr Hill explained: “We are proud to be a Newport company and we have three shops in Newport and this is our fifth store. This is our flagship location, in the heart of Friars Walk and by the bus station.

“We hope people enjoy this facility and are inspired to do similar things with empty spaces.”

There was a queue of people waiting for coffee when they opened at 6a, and they are expecting to see more people come as their reputation grows.

Mr Hill added: “We hope to have some regulars who come for coffee or snacks or sandwiches. All our products designed for grab-and-go, for commuters.”

The Hi Coffee at Newport bus station is open from 6am to 7pm on weekdays, 7am to 6pm on Saturdays and 8am to 7pm on Sundays. Find out more at hicoffee.co.uk.