Oakberry

About Oakberry

Açai brand Oakberry was founded in Brazil in 2016 and has grown to 700 locations across five continents, launching in the UK in 2022. It has since grown to ten sites here, including five in London. It also has locations in Birmingham, Bristol (two), Brighton and Belfast.

“Oakberry is a franchise model, and we are looking to identify a select group of partners to work with us to roll out the brand across the UK,” Angela Bernardes, national sales and marketing director for Oakberry UK, the brand’s master franchisee for the territory, told Propel in October 2023. “Our UK launch has been strong, and we’ve seen consistent growth over the last 12 months. People are resharing their bowls of açaí on Instagram all the time and it’s great to see the building momentum in the UK. Each shop will have its own concept. We don’t want to put a number on it, but people from all across the UK have fallen in love with our bowls when travelling abroad, so we want to bring our brand to as many people as possible.”

In November 2024, operations director Peter Davies said: “Between Central London, where we want to concentrate our growth, and Greater London, there’s potential for up to 50 stores over five years. We have mapped out the UK into 12 regions and are looking to approach the expansion with equity and franchise partnerships with multi-site operators from Scotland to central, and Greater London, and out to the west.”

The brand made its Scottish debut in July 2025 with a launch in Edinburgh, and franchisees Zulaica and Tania Yusaf said they are eyeing further openings. Zulaica said: “We officially launched Oakberry Edinburgh, the very first Oakberry location in Scotland, and the response has blown us away. From the moment we opened our doors, this city showed up for us - 200 people queued on launch day, and we've had lines out the door since. Over the summer, we’ve had the privilege of becoming part of Edinburgh’s vibrant wellness community, but we’re just getting started and we’re so excited for what’s to come.” In January 2026, Oakberry closed its Birmingham site but said it would be seeking a larger location within the city.

In June 2026, Jonathan Coxon managing director of Oakberry UK, ahead of the launch of a store in London’s Covent Garden (its tenth in the UK), told Propel that the brand’s growth in other European markets show the size of opportunity in the UK. Coxon said: “We’re launching in Covent Garden this week and we’ve got six or seven people signed up for new locations across the UK - predominantly in London - so we’re at the point where we’re really scaling up. We’ve taken a really big leap forward this year. We’re still seeking franchisees for London and top ten UK cities, but London is the key and there’s still plenty of white space there. We’ll have another four to six open by the end of the year, and next year will be accelerating that with the people I’m bringing on board this year.

“I don’t like to put a number on it as that can be potentially quite restrictive. But Spain and Portugal have about 60 locations, so if you compare the UK to those markets, you can get a feel for the opportunity.”

Oakberry will also this year launch within a “premium” padel club in Leicester - a move which Coxon admitted is “a bit leftfield” but also “great brand alignment in terms of that healthy lifestyle community”. He said: “There’s definitely potential for doing more of those if it goes well. Oakberry has done locations within padel centres globally, so it’s not totally out the blue. One thing we have learnt though is the high street is where we sit best. It’s a premium brand, and you can deliver a more premium experience from those locations. Different formats are available, but the focus is on stores delivering that premium experience.”

In August 2026, Coxon told Propel that the brand’s “mind-blowing growth” globally is what attracted him to take on the UK master franchise. “My wife is Brazilian, and she first introduced me to the product,” he said. “Beyond that, it was seeing the global growth story of the brand - Oakberry launches a shop every two and a half days globally. That’s more than a thousand in a decade. Just mind-blowing growth, and that sort of scale excited me.” Coxon said the brand’s growth in the UK will be franchise-led now he has proof of concept, although he may do “one or two more” equity stores.

He added that Oakberry dials in with “global trend towards healthier, more functional foods”. He added: “For me, it’s almost not a trend; it’s the new normal. When you look at the changing habits of Millennials, and how that’s accelerated with Generation Z and even the generation behind them, people are a lot more aware of what they’re putting in their bodies. There’s much easier access to information, so people are more educated. People are also more image conscious with the rise of social media - they want to be seen in the gym rather than see videos of them drunk. People are no longer eating to feel full; they’re eating to feel better - and that’s where functional eating comes in, really fundamentally changing the mix within hospitality.”

Why franchise with Oakberry

• ✓An Oakberry franchise is low capex, with €85,000-€110,000 capital investment required per location. It is labour efficient, with stores operated by two to four employees, and is simple to operate, with rapid training and onboarding. Franchise fee is €20,000-€25,000, with 6% royalty fees and 2% marketing fees. A franchisee must have industry experience and possess local market knowledge.
• ✓Continuous training and support is available in ownership, development, operations, marketing, digital channels and customer service. It offers strong brand recognition, unique product experience, proprietary product and sourcing and a global footprint.
• ✓Oakberry UK joint MD Angela Bernardes added: “Açai has gained popularity due to its reputation as a superfood with numerous health benefits. It is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and is considered a nutritious choice for those seeking a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, açai bowls and smoothies have become trendy and Instagram-worthy, driving their popularity among health-conscious consumers and influencers.
• ✓“Oakberry sources only the finest açai berries, sustainably farmed in their very own location, which is the only açai on the market that is certified 100% organic, vegan, non-genetically modified, organic and free of artificial preservatives, food colourings and syrups.”