Insomnia Coffee

About Insomnia Coffee

Founded by Bobby Kerr in Ireland in 1997, Insomnia Coffee started out as a single store in a bookshop in Galway. It has since grown to more than 100 coffee shops and kiosks in Ireland plus 13 in the UK. In 2003, the company merged with the sandwich company Bendini & Shaw, and in 2005, it acquired the Perk coffee chain. In April 2012, the Insomnia high street franchise was launched, and the first franchise café opened in 2013, in St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, Dublin. In 2015, the company announced a new partnership with Primark, which trades in Ireland as Penneys, and that same year, it expanded to the UK with a café opening in Market Harborough. In December 2017, Kerr left the business and sold his shares to the other shareholders, an in 2018, Insomnia’s first coffee drive-thru opened, in partnership with Maxol at Maxol Ballycoolin, in the heart of the Dublin Enterprise Zone. In March 2024, Insomnia opened its first airport location, in partnership with franchisee KSG, at Terminal 1 Arrivals at Dublin airport. In December 2024, directors Harry O’Kelly, John Clohisey and Barry Kehoe stated they will look “to further grow the business in Ireland as well as abroad”, with plans to further develop and consolidate its existing activities.

Why franchise with Insomnia Coffee

• ✓Including the initial franchise fee, prospective franchisees are required to have a minimum of €180,000 of investment capital available, plus the initial working capital required to establish the business. The start-ups costs can vary, depending on where, when and the size of store. Franchise fee: £15,000, royalty fees 6% and marketing fees 1%. Franchisees are expected to present the company with a suitable location for consideration as part of a selective recruitment process. Appropriate Insomnia locations need to have a proven high footfall, a potential to trade over seven days and a minimum of 150 sqm. As part of the recruitment process, Insomnia will survey and assess the suitability of the proposed site, and its approval is necessary to go forward with the location. The company said: “One of the key advantages of being an Insomnia franchisee is that from the first day of opening, you will be in a position to enjoy all the benefits that the recognition of the Insomnia brand can bring. Insomnia is greatly invested in the success of the franchised stores, and we are continuing to develop the brand in Ireland and the UK, as well as expanding into new markets in the near future. As franchisor, our responsibility is to provide the support, advice and skills to enable our franchisees to replicate the proven success of the Insomnia Coffee business model within your own franchised store. The systems and processes developed for franchisees are designed to make business easier and help the stores realise its potential commercial success. Our franchise system is a proven footfall driver with both barista and self-service offerings. Our property and development team assist franchisees in store design, store specifications and construction with a flexible footprint ranging from 25sqm to 100sqm.”