23.5 Degrees targets 300 Starbucks stores in the UK by 2027

Starbucks operates nearly 1,100 stores in the UK, around 75% of which are licensed | Photo credit: 23.5 Degrees

Southampton-based Starbucks franchisee 23.5 Degrees has reaffirmed its plan to operate 300 Starbucks stores in the UK by 2027, with more than 20 new outlets expected to open in the next year.
 

23.5 Degrees opened its first Starbucks store in Hampshire, UK, in February 2013. The company now operates 90 Starbucks outlets following its latest launch in Gateshead, UK. Over half of the company’s franchised locations are drive-thru stores.  

“We’re able to move fast on great new sites. Our use of modular design and build enables our landlords to have our stores trading faster. We’re keeping our foot on the gas and plan to reach 300 stores in the next five years,” said Mark Hepburn, Managing Director, 23.5 Degrees. 

23.5 Degrees, Starbucks’ first UK franchise partner, has invested more than £31.5m ($37m) through building and buying Starbucks stores. In May 2021 the franchise secured £17m ($24m) to grow its UK portfolio. 

Fellow UK-based franchisee The Magic Bean Co. also received HSBC UK funding, worth £10m ($12m), in June 2022 which it will use to scale its 24 franchised Starbucks sites to 200 in the next five years. 

Starbucks operates nearly 1,100 stores in the UK, around 75% of which are licensed. The company’s UK business reported sales of £328m ($393m) for the year to October 2021, a 35% increase on a pandemic-disrupted previous 12 months. The Seattle-based company celebrates 25 years of UK operations in 2023.