What Esquires Coffee does

Esquires Coffee is a specialty coffeehouse franchise chain operated by Cooks Coffee Company, a private entity registered under New Zealand privacy jurisdiction with operational headquarters in London, UK. Founded in 1999 in North Delta, Canada by two business school graduates, the brand has scaled over ~25 years into a multi-region franchise operating across Europe (UK, Ireland, Portugal), Asia (China, Indonesia, Pakistan), and the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain). The core product is organic, Fairtrade-certified coffee served alongside fresh, locally-sourced food (muffins, cakes, salads, sandwiches), with a differentiated ethical-sourcing proposition targeting neighborhood consumers who value community-gathering spaces.

The company's underlying technology footprint is minimal: the public website is built on Squarespace, there is no mobile app, no disclosed API or SDK, and no proprietary digital platform. Add-on offerings include retail home-brew coffee beans and an educational Home Brew Guide. Operational differentiation rests on a community-anchored cafe format where staff, service, food, music, hours, and personality are locally tailored under a consistent brand standard.

Esquires monetizes through a master franchise model, generating corporate revenue from franchise fees, royalties, and ongoing partner support, with 501-1,000 employees system-wide and CEO Aiden Keegan at the helm. Franchise partners receive turnkey support covering training, site selection, store design, lease negotiation, menu design, marketing, opening support, and ongoing operations, while operating independent cafes under the Esquires brand. The business is two-sided: serving B2C neighborhood consumers via franchisee-operated retail locations, and selling B2B franchise rights to regional master franchisees. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and no institutional funding, M&A activity, or public listing has been identified in available sources.

Name

Esquires Coffee

Legal name

Cooks Coffee Company

Website

https://esquirescoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee & Cafe Franchise

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Espresso Bars & Coffee Bars (THAFADAD), Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Coffee franchise system
• Fairtrade organic coffee
• Cafe food service
• Master franchise licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Esquires Coffee operates as a franchise business, generating revenue through franchise fees and ongoing royalties from franchise partners. Franchisees pay for the right to use the Esquires brand, receive training, site selection support, store design, marketing assistance, and ongoing operational support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Esquires Coffee is a global coffeehouse franchise chain operating community-focused cafes that serve organic, Fairtrade-certified coffee alongside fresh, locally-sourced food. The business operates on a franchise model, generating revenue through franchise fees, royalties, and ongoing operational support to franchise partners across the UK, Ireland, Portugal, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

Product overview

Esquires Coffee is a global coffeehouse franchise chain offering a unified brand experience centered on natural, fair, and delicious coffee paired with fresh, locally-sourced food. The core products consist of Fairtrade organic coffee and fresh food items (muffins, cakes, salads, sandwiches) available across all cafe locations. The franchise system serves as the operational platform, providing partners with comprehensive support including training, site selection, store design, menu development, marketing, and ongoing assistance. Add-on offerings include home brew coffee beans for retail sale and the Home Brew Guide educational resource for customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coffee

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks: The global coffee chain incumbent against which all neighbourhood and specialty coffee franchises are benchmarked; competes with Esquires in most of its markets and sets category standards for loyalty, technology, and supply chain.
• Tim Hortons: Large global coffee and bakery QSR franchise with an international master franchise model; comparable to Esquires in its franchise-driven international rollout and coffee-plus-food menu mix.
• McCafé (McDonald's): Coffee programme run inside McDonald's global restaurant network, competing on price and convenience with franchise-led coffee chains like Esquires in many of the same Middle East and Asian markets.
• Pret a Manger: UK-based neighbourhood food and coffee chain with company-owned and franchised stores; overlaps with Esquires on grab-and-go coffee, light food, and UK high-street footfall.

Direct peers

• Gloria Jean's Coffees: Global specialty coffee franchise with a master franchise model and presence in the Middle East and Asia, directly comparable to Esquires' franchise-led international expansion strategy.
• Costa Coffee: One of the UK's largest coffee chains with a global franchise and licensed-store model, directly competing with Esquires in the UK high street and suburban cafe segment with a similar coffee-led food menu.
• The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: Specialty coffee and tea franchise with a global footprint across Asia, the Middle East, and the US; overlaps with Esquires on neighbourhood cafe format, food menu, and master franchise international growth.
• Caffè Nero: UK-headquartered specialty-style coffee chain operating neighbourhood cafes with espresso-led menus and a strong local-community positioning that closely mirrors Esquires' go-to-market and store format.

Emerging players

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Specialty third-wave coffee operator with a premium neighbourhood cafe model and growing retail bean business; competes with Esquires' specialty positioning in overlapping metropolitan markets.

Regional players

• The Coffee Club: Australia-headquartered all-day brunch and coffee franchise with neighbourhood stores in the Asia-Pacific region; comparable in cafe format and franchise-led growth but primarily competes with Esquires in Asian markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EsquiresCoffee
• Facebookfacebook.com/esquirescoffeeUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esquirescoffeeuk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Esquires Coffee