GREAT Malvern town centre will have a boost when a leading Italian coffee bar chain opens next month.

Caff Nero will be serving coffee in Church Street from the end of May, replacing the YMCA charity shop, which moved out on Wednesday.

Founded in 1997, Caff Nero is currently the largest independent coffee retailer in the UK, with more than 205 stores nationwide, including ones in Birmingham and Kidderminster.

Spokesman Romina Infantiono said they had chosen to invest in Malvern because: "It's a lovely area, which suits the Caff Nero brand and values."

The branch will be on one floor and will seat about 50 customers. It will open seven days a week and could employ about eight local people.

The move marks a change in the way Great Malvern is viewed as a commercial centre.

In 2002, a number of Church Street shops stood empty and traders expressed great concern, with one saying the town was 'dying a death.'