Esquires Coffee is expanding its presence in the UK, now operating over 70 locations. The brand is focusing on regional growth in areas such as South East England and the East Midlands, while also extending its footprint into Wales.
A recent growth initiative has led to the opening of 17 new outlets across the UK, driven by the efforts of the brand's regional developers.
The brand aims to open at least 10 new UK stores by the end of its financial year in March 2025, with plans to double its locations over the next three years to reach 140–150 outlets, and to double that again within five years.
In 2023, Esquires experienced a 20% increase in total UK sales, reaching £17.5 million. Revenue from new stores contributed 12% of the brand's total UK sales.
The growing brand states that, in response to the rise in remote and hybrid working, it is focusing on suburban locations where consumers are seeking convenient local options for coffee, food, and social interaction.
Many of Esquires’ new locations are in residential areas, where coffee shops have become essential community hubs. The brand notes that cafés are often a planning requirement in larger suburban property developments, providing a social outlet for residents.
Esquires aims to differentiate itself from competitors by focusing on fresh, made-to-order food offerings alongside its high-quality, organic coffee. The coffee is sourced through a long-standing partnership with Matthew Algie, one of the leading suppliers in the UK and Ireland.
Aiden Keegan, chief executive of Esquires in the UK, said: “We’ve got the largest pipeline we’ve had to date in the UK, and we see that the brand has really strong potential to reach more communities.
“We’re not going high street, we’re not going flagship, you’ll never see us on Oxford Street. We don’t particularly want to be in central business districts or city centres.
“We’re happier in the suburbs where people working from home want to visit a cafe to work – we see a lot of people in our stores with earbuds on their laptops – or for a break, or to catch up with friends. This means we get bigger spend and longer dwell time than in more central locations.”
The group, whose New Zealand-based parent company, Cooks Coffee, is planning to relocate its headquarters to the UK, highlights that entry costs for suburban stores are typically lower than those in central business districts. Additionally, unlike larger coffee brands that require franchisees to commit to multiple branches with seven-figure investments, Esquires' franchise model supports single-store investments at a lower cost, making it more accessible for a broader range of potential franchisees to achieve their dream of owning a business.
Esquires claims to differentiate itself in the UK’s competitive café market by giving each store a unique identity, “blending independent coffee culture with the consistency and support of a franchise.”
This comes as the UK’s coffee boom continues, with the British Coffee Association reporting that the nation consumes approximately 98 million cups of coffee daily. Additionally, 80% of people who visit coffee shops do so at least once a week.
Matthew Algie, a partner of Esquires since its inception almost 25 years ago, proudly states that it offers one of the largest selections of coffee, coffee machines, café supplies, and expert barista training across multiple sectors in the UK and Ireland. The company also counts Dobbies garden centres, Handpicked Hotels, Tinderbox, and the National Trust for Scotland among its major customers.
Lachlan MacGillivray, of Matthew Algie said: “The rapid recent growth of Esquires is one of the most exciting stories in UK coffee at the moment, and we love playing a part in that. The brand has the potential to become a major player in the UK’s cafe market by offering something different to many existing brands. It very much shares our focus on quality and sustainability, for example in its supply chain, and we can’t wait to see it expand its reach. We can achieve great things together.”
Matthew Algie has outlined a five-pillar plan to achieve its sustainability and development goals, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2040. This aligns with Esquires’ commitment to ethical sourcing and sustainability, which includes sourcing coffee from farming cooperatives worldwide, using sustainable store designs, offering cups that are fully compostable and 100% recyclable, and partnering with Too Good To Go to reduce food waste.