Costa Franchise Overview

About Costa

Costa is the UK’s favourite coffee shop, having been awarded “Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain in the UK and Ireland" by Allegra Strategies for five years running (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & November 2014).

Winner of “Best Branded Coffee Chain in Europe” Allegra Strategies 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

With over 1,800 coffee shops in the UK and more than 1,100 overseas, Costa is the fastest growing coffee shop business in the UK and the second largest coffee shop operator in the world. Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa has become the UK’s favourite coffee shop chain and diversified into both the at-home and gourmet self-serve markets.

Costa employs over 12,000 people and is creating around 1,500 jobs this year and over 4,500 jobs in the next three years in the UK. We continue to be part of the Sunday Times Best Companies To Work For list.

Costa is committed to looking after coffee-growers. That's why we've established The Costa Foundation, a registered charity. The Costa Foundation's aims are to relieve poverty, advance education and the health and environment of coffee-growing communities around the world. So far, The Costa Foundation has funded the building of 46 schools and improved the social and economic welfare of coffee-growing communities.

Company History

Bruno & Sergio Costa set up their famous coffee roastery in Lambeth, London in 1971, supplying local caterers and Italian coffee shops with an exciting coffee, slow-roasted the Italian way. People couldn't get enough of it and by 1978 the first Costa espresso bar opened in Vauxhall Bridge Road in London. To this day we still use the same method of slow-roasting our coffee beans, serving the brothers' authentic blend of 6 Arabica beans to 1 Robusta in 500 coffee shops all over the world.

To serve the best coffee in the true Italian style, we focus on quality control at every stage of the coffee making process from bean to cup. Unlike any other coffee company in the UK, we have our own roastery to ensure our unique blend is perfect every time.

This web page does not constitute a franchise offering or an offer to sell a franchise. A franchise offering can be made by us only in a state if we are first registered, excluded, exempted or otherwise qualified to offer franchises in that state, and only if we provide you with an appropriate franchise disclosure document.