Esquires Coffee

An Esquires Coffee franchise is a coffee shop trading on organic and Fairtrade sourcing, and the brand’s UK network reached 84 stores in June 2026.

Esquires was founded in 1993 in Delta, British Columbia, by Doug Williamson and Gary Buckland, starting as a single community coffee shop. It entered the United Kingdom in 2000 and Ireland in 2001, and there are now Esquires shops in Portugal, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pakistan, Bahrain and Indonesia, with developments under way in India and Dubai.

The brand and its intellectual property are owned by Cooks Coffee Company, a publicly listed company on the New Zealand and Aquis stock exchanges, which acquired the worldwide rights in 2013 and unified Esquires under a single global franchise strategy.

Systemwide store sales across the UK and Ireland reached NZ$95.8 million in the year to 31 March 2026, up 22.8%, with UK systemwide sales rising 18.5% over the 12 months to June 2026. Against a UK branded coffee shop market that grew outlets 3.5% and sales value 5.5% in 2025, Esquires expanded its UK estate by 14.9%.

All Esquires coffee is 100% organic and Fairtrade, grown by Fairtrade farmers as part of the forest and existing ecosystem. The company partners with the first coffee roastery in the world to reach the gold carbon-neutral standard, and uses recyclable and compostable cups, boxes, bags, serviettes and straws. Food is freshly made in store.

Why Choose the Franchise Esquires Coffee?

Esquires develops its UK stores through a regional developer system, using local knowledge to select locations and prospective franchisees. Franchisees run their own coffee shop with brand support while retaining full responsibility for its growth. The model is producing results in some territories: South East England, run by a Regional Developer, delivered store sales growth of 39% in the year to March 2026.

Previous catering or retail experience is not a prerequisite. The company states it looks for drive and ambition, a strong work ethic, a commitment to service standards, the ability to follow established systems, and a proven track record of achievement.

Training typically spans two weeks, covering the brand, organic and Fairtrade coffee, the food offer, customer service, recruitment, merchandising, finance and marketing, alongside practical work: coffee making and latte art, operating and cleaning equipment, stock ordering, running shifts, till work, cashing up and banking. Systems are documented in operations and training manuals, and the operations team remains available after opening.

Esquires has been a bfa member since 2000 and holds Expanding Member status. The brand offers single-store, multi-store and master or regional licence formats, and Cooks Coffee has set out a plan to scale the network beyond 300 stores by its 2034 financial year.