Costa Coffee opens 300th Drive-Thru in U.K as part of £20m expansion

August 24 - 2022

Coffee Geography Magazine

Costa Coffee, UK’s Favorite Coffee Shop*, celebrates the opening of its brand-new Drive-Thru store at the Peel Centre in Washington, Sunderland, marking the 300th Drive-Thru for the business in Great Britain. 11 years after opening its first Drive-Thru in Nottingham Castle Marina, the occasion showcases Costa Coffee’s ambitious expansion strategy across a range of formats, including on high streets, in retail parks, in travel locations, and over 12,000 Costa Express self-serve machines.

Costa Coffee and its franchise partners are on course to open 100 stores this year, including 60 new Drive-Thrus, as the company continues to invest in a growing on-the-go coffee market. It also aims to be operating over 500 Drive-Thrus by 2025 in a move that will expand its reach around the country and create around 15 new jobs at each store.

With a UK-wide investment of over £20 million in its Drive-Thru format alone this year, Costa Coffee will ensure more people can enjoy their favorite perfectly crafted Costa coffee, wherever they are. With 1,000 Costa Express machines also being installed in 2022, including a recently upgraded self-serve machine offering both hot and iced drinks, it is bidding to become the coffee of choice on the nation’s roads. Digital also remains at the center of its consumer proposition. Current features such as Click & Collect and Click & Serve via its Costa Club app enable seamless ordering and pre-ordering up to an hour in advance.

It expects to soon be utilizing predictive ordering, voice-ordering and bespoke Fast Lanes to streamline its processes for consumers on the move. Drive-Thru stores deliver an innovative approach for coffee fans both on-the-go, or choosing to sit-in. Since the first Drive-Thru in 2011, Costa Coffee has continued to invest and innovate to provide consumers with excellent speed of service to accompany their great quality coffee. Consumers choosing to stay in will be greeted by Costa Coffee’s new uplifting store design, which offers a bright, warm, and contemporary environment where they can enjoy their favorite handcrafted drinks at their leisure on modern and comfortable furniture.

New ‘Rinse & Refill’ stations also feature, where customers can top up water bottles and clean out reusable cups for free. Supporting the transition to a lower carbon economy, Costa Coffee is also installing electric vehicle charging ports at a number of its stores so drivers can stop for a coffee whilst recharging their cars. Additionally, through the Costa Club loyalty scheme, consumers can get a free drink after purchasing only four drinks in a reusable cup, compared to eight in a takeaway cup. All stores will also have takeaway cup recycling points to increase the numbers of cups being recycled.

Commenting on the plan, Adrian Cook, UK & Ireland’s Chief Operating Officer for Costa Coffee, said: “As we continue to invest and grow after the pandemic, it is the perfect moment to be celebrating the opening of our 300th Drive-Thru store. Alongside our franchise partners, we are proud to be investing in communities across the country and creating more than 1,000 new jobs this year. We know that Drive-Thrus continue to prove popular with consumers as the nation gets moving again. With over 10 years and 300 stores of experience under our belts, we look forward to continuing to delight coffee fans when they’re out and about across the UK. "

Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa Coffee is present in 41 countries around the world, with almost 2,800 coffee shops in the UK & Ireland and 1,100+ globally. In 2011, Costa Coffee purchased Coffee Nation, which is now Costa Express.

Today, Costa Express operates in 17 international markets, with over 12,000 coffee machines in the UK and more than 1,400 globally serving the same Costa Coffee Mocha Italia Signature Blend coffee beans found in stores, combined with fresh milk to create a delicious and warming cup of coffee on the go.

All Costa Coffee products, including the At-Home and Costa Coffee in a can range, have been crafted by Gennaro Pelliccia, the Master of Coffee and uses Rainforest Alliance Certified™ coffee beans.