Costa Coffee

Founded in 1971 by Sergio and Bruno Costa, Costa Coffee is a chain of coffee shops operating in several countries including the USA, UK, Belgium and many more. The firm is the second largest coffeehouse chain in the world, and the largest in the UK.

In 2019, Costa Coffee was sold to The Coca-Cola Company. 

Moreover, the firm is a member of Out of Home Food and Drink Alliance and of British Nutrition Foundation, which allows it to be health-conscious and to monitor the contents in the products offered.

Costa Coffee partnered with Auchan in 2021, aiming to introduce self-serve machines at 400 ‘MyAuchan’ stores across the UK over the next 5 years. 

Currently, Costa Coffee has over 20 million consumers. 

The company established its first Costa Coffee shop in Vauxhall Bridge Road thus becoming the first coffee shop in London to provide Espresso and crafted Cappuccino in porcelain cups.

In 2020, Costa Coffee achieved a turnover of € 8.86 billion, depicting a growth of 16%. Around 16,000 people were employed by the firm. 

It operates 11, 696 stores. 

For 10 consecutive years, the business was voted Nation’s Favourite coffee shop. 

Moreover, Costa Coffee handles all processes, from manufacturing to roasting, in order to serve its customers its 6 signature blends which are as follows:

• Espresso
• Americano
• Flat White
• Latte 
• Cappuccino
• Cortado

Additionally, various items are also provided under the following categories:

• Drinks: ice tea, juices, milkshakes, etc
• Chilled & Fresh Food: burgers, snacks, ready-meals, etc. 

The products offered are vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, etc.

The chain also offers its wide variety of coffee in different formats such as:

• Costa at home: offers premium instant coffee
• Costa Express: provides coffee on the go through Express machines
• Costa in a can: made with 30% less sugar, it proposes coffee in cans

The products are all offered under the company’s own label, Costa. 

Other brands endorsed by the business are Innocent, Kind, Bear, etc. 

Furthermore, Costa Coffee partnered with third party delivery companies, such as Uber Eats, Delivaroo and Just Eat, to carry out deliveries. 

Concerning social responsibility, Costa Coffee provides education for over 90 000 people across Vietnam, Colombia, Peru, Uganda and many others.

With regards to the environment, the business is the first UK coffee shop chain to commit to sourcing 100% of its coffee and cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.