Gloria Jean’s will enter the UK coffee shop market in July, with its first store set to open in Glasgow.

Confirming the agreement with local businessman, Naweed Nasir, RFG Chief Executive International, Mr Mike Gilbert, said the UK as an “important strategic market” for the brand.

“The United Kingdom has a growing speciality coffee market and Gloria Jean’s Coffees has an outstanding offering to meet that need,” he added.

Gilbert also announced that the UK will be the first market outside of Australia where rebranded Gloria Jean’s sites would be rolled out. The ‘Gloria Jean’s of the future’ concept represented a “significant brand renovation where all elements of the brand have been rigorously reviewed and tested,” he said.

RFG has announced a string of expansion plans for Gloria Jean’s in recent months, with new sites opening in the US and a Master Franchise agreement for 40 stores in Germany signed in April. In late 2017 RFG announced a drive to recruit Master Franchisers for a ‘Middle East Coffee Hub’ as part of a global expansion drive for the coffee shop chain.

Gloria Jean’s currently has more than 900 outlets across Europe, North America, Middle East, Asia and the South Pacific. RFG’s franchise operation in its native Australia has, however, suffered turbulence in recent years, with a string of closures across its brands set against a backdrop of poor financial performance.