By February 2000 easyEverything the first chain of large Internet cafis to be conceived anywhere in the world had already successfully launched 5 shops in London. The company also aggressively planned to launch an additional 50 shops across Europe by 2002. EasyEverything was just one of several companies operating under the UK-based parent company easyGroup which also managed easyJet airlines and several other start-up ventures. Stelios Haji-Iaonnou, chairman and owner of easyGroup, was a charismatic and wealthy entrepreneur known for his down to earth “no frills” style that had come to exemplify the easy brand. His mission for easyEverything was simple: to make easyEverything the cheapest way to access the Internet. He also envisioned easyEverything as a virtual alternative to department stores where users could shop send emails and surf the Internet. He proclaimed “EasyEverything can be a betting center a music store a cinema or a travel agency. We can become the Wal-Mart of Internet access.” However some industry experts questioned whether Internet cafes were a viable long- term concept because of rapid changes in technology such as wireless Internet access. Furthermore easyEverything faced several internal challenges in 2000 which included how to quickly replicate the business model and how to incorporate innovative ideas while expanding. Despite these challenges managers at easyEverything realized that there were significant opportunities for growth because of the endless revenue-generating possibilities that the Internet offered.
