Cafes and Coffee Shops

The Cafes and Coffee Shops section on Catering Today explores the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the UK’s vibrant café and coffee sector. Covering independent operators, branded chains, and suppliers, it reports on store openings, menu innovation, sustainability initiatives, and shifts in consumer behaviour. With insights into operations, staffing, and technology, Catering Today provides hospitality professionals with up-to-date intelligence on the business strategies and market forces driving success in coffee-led hospitality.

Jul- 2025 -

2 July

Cooks Coffee FY sales rise 36% in UK&I

Esquires Coffee, the operator of cafe chain Cooks Coffee, has reported a 36% rise in total franchisee store sales to NZ$79.6m (£35.3m) in the UK and Ireland for the year ended 31 March 2025. Group revenues increased by 43% to NZ$6.7m (£2.9m) during the same period. This included NZ$1m (£440k)…
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Jun- 2025 -

25 June

200 Degrees FY sales rise by ‘record’ 16% to £20m

Nottingham-based coffee roaster and cafe chain, 200 Degrees, has reported that sales rose by a record 16% to hit £20m for the first time in the year ended 31 May 2025. The group attributed its performance to a like-for-like sales growth of 7.8%, which was underpinned by “notable” positive customer…
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24 June

Cornish Bakery to open three new sites and expand York flagship

Cornish Bakery has announced it will open three new branches in Hereford, Woodbridge and Portsmouth this summer as part of its wider UK expansion plans. The company also plans to more than double the size of its existing bakery on Coney Street, York, increasing seating from 16 to 66 by…
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18 June

Ole and Steen turnover rises 5% to £36.7m

Danish bakery Ole and Steen has revealed that its turnover rose 5% to £36.7m for the year ended 31 December 2024, up from £34.8m in the same period the previous year. Alongside this, the company saw its EBITDA rise 25% from £3.93m up to £4.89m during the same period. The…
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6 June

Pret owner explores new investors ahead of possible IPO

Pret A Manger owner Jab Holding has reportedly engaged advisers to explore bringing in new investors for the business ahead of a public offering, according to the Financial Times (FT). People with direct knowledge revealed to the FT that Jab Holding, who acquired Pret in 2018 for £1.8m, is exploring…
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6 June

Black Sheep Coffee and Costa open new cafés on Edgware Road

Two major coffee chains, Black Sheep Coffee and Costa, have opened new sites on Edgware Road in the west end of London as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the area’s retail and hospitality offering. Speciality chain Black Sheep Coffee has launched a 3,000 sq ft site at 124 Edgware…
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5 June

Cornish Bakery plots major UK expansion to over 400 sites

Cornish Bakery has unveiled plans to expand from 66 to more than 400 sites across the UK, with a focus on high street locations. The bakery chain, which began in a Cornish fishing village, has previously targeted tourist hotspots, retail outlets, motorway services and event venues such as the NEC…
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4 June

Caffè Nero global sales rise 11% in Q3

Coffee house chain Caffè Nero has seen an 11% rise in sales across the world, with a 5.5% uplift in like-for-like sales recorded during the third quarter to 28 February. In the UK, total sales growth was 8% in the third quarter and like-for-like sales were up 6.2% against the…
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May- 2025 -

30 May

Cooks Coffee’s UK&I store sales soar 33% to £35m in FY25

Café chain Cooks Coffee has reported that its total franchisee store sales in the UK and Ireland have jumped 33% to NZ$79.6m (£35.1m) in the year to 31 March. Group revenues, which have been “highly” correlated to store sales, also rose 49% to NZ$7m (£3.09m). This includes NZ$1m (£440k) worth…
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20 May

Greggs sales surge 7.4% to £784m

Greggs has reported a 7.4% increase in total sales to £784m (2024: £730m) for the 20 weeks of 2025, driven by store expansion and product innovation. Its like-for-like (LFL) sales in company-managed shops also grew by 2.9%, with improved performance in the last 11 weeks supported by better trading conditions.…
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