Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee dominates Britain’s coffee market with unrivalled scale and brand strength.
Investment: £250,000 – £800,000
UK units: 3,400+ outlets (2,467 franchise)
EST: 1971
Costa Coffee is the UK’s most popular coffee chain by outlet count, with over 3,400 locations across the country – from flagship high-street cafés to drive-throughs, supermarket concessions, and motorway service stations. Owned by The Coca-Cola Company since 2019, Costa benefits from extraordinary corporate resources and a brand that turns over more than £1.1bn annually in the UK alone. The franchise model requires investment of between £250,000 and £800,000, reflecting the variety of store formats. It is worth noting that Costa is not currently offering new franchise licences in the UK – its existing franchise network operates under a different structure to many brands, with large multi-site operators such as Scoffs Group (100+ stores) dominating the franchised estate. For those already within the Costa ecosystem, the opportunity to acquire additional stores or territories remains an active market. For aspiring franchise investors, Costa’s position as the dominant British coffee brand – with a loyal base of millions of daily customers, outstanding brand recognition, and the backing of a global beverage giant – makes it essential context for anyone evaluating the UK coffee sector.
Investment: £250,000 – £800,000
UK units: 3,400+ outlets (2,467 franchise)
EST: 1971
Costa Coffee is the UK’s most popular coffee chain by outlet count, with over 3,400 locations across the country – from flagship high-street cafés to drive-throughs, supermarket concessions, and motorway service stations. Owned by The Coca-Cola Company since 2019, Costa benefits from extraordinary corporate resources and a brand that turns over more than £1.1bn annually in the UK alone. The franchise model requires investment of between £250,000 and £800,000, reflecting the variety of store formats. It is worth noting that Costa is not currently offering new franchise licences in the UK – its existing franchise network operates under a different structure to many brands, with large multi-site operators such as Scoffs Group (100+ stores) dominating the franchised estate. For those already within the Costa ecosystem, the opportunity to acquire additional stores or territories remains an active market. For aspiring franchise investors, Costa’s position as the dominant British coffee brand – with a loyal base of millions of daily customers, outstanding brand recognition, and the backing of a global beverage giant – makes it essential context for anyone evaluating the UK coffee sector.
