Soho Coffee Co

About Soho Coffee Co

Fairtrade organic coffee and handmade food brand which opened its first store in Cheltenham in 1999 and has since grown to circa 44 sites (30 in the UK and 14 overseas) mainly in UK and international travel hubs. The company was acquired by Penny Manuel and business partner Chris Copner in 2006. Having established a successful franchise arm to the core business, Soho first met Business Trading Company (BTC) in 2014 to discuss franchise opportunities in the Middle East. BTC says it quickly recognised the opportunity to invest in Soho and set out to acquire the majority stake in the business. Although not looking to sell at this time, Soho’s directors recognised it needed investment in order to meet its growth targets and expand to new markets. In 2015, the transaction completed, marking BTC’s first investment in the UK market. BTC has since helped Soho roll out new format stores across the UK. The company said: “Soho is a fiercely independent artisan brand whose USP is grab and go fresh handmade food, underpinned by premium triple-certified coffee. Soho occupies a niche position straddling the fast casual and premium coffee market.” The Soho site which opened in the departures lounge at Birmingham Airport in July 2022 showcased its new look and design, with new developments in the hot grab-and-go category. The following month, the company launched its new Soho Piccolo at Northampton railway station, its first directly managed rail outlet. In January 2023, Penny Manual stepped down as managing director to take an advisory role on its board. The following month, parent group BTC said it remains “fully committed” to supporting the brand as it explores new post-covid market opportunities. Sam Shutt, formerly of Debenham and Philpotts, was appointed as her replacement in March 2023. In May 2023, Soho closed its store in Grosvenor Street, in London’s Mayfair. In November 2024, Soho Coffee hired Krishma Vaghela as its franchise consultant as it returned to the expansion trial with an opening in London Westfield, a new format Soho Coffee & Kitchen concept. The company said: “Soho Coffee & Kitchen isn’t just a new store, it reflects one of three new formats for the brand, as it continues to grow and expand across the UK and beyond, via both company and franchise operated stores.” The following month, Shutt told Propel the new formats will allow Soho to go into places it couldn’t before, and that it has a strategic goal to get to 50 corporate stores and beyond, with further opportunity through a new franchising push. “Soho was trying to be all things to all people all of the time,” Shutt said. “What the market requires post covid is quite different to where Soho would have been historically, but what this gives us is three clear options at various capex ranges and formats for a franchisee, or for ourselves. We want to grow through equity stores but also want to push more into franchising - it’s always been a part of what we do but we want to dial it up and make it a more an overt part of our business. We’ve been involved in franchising since quite early on but focused it on overseas rather than the UK market. We believe there’s a market capacity for several hundred units under our different formats without question, but it will always depend on availability of locations and opportunities.” Soho Coffee opened the debut international site for its new Coffee & Kitchen format in March 2025, at Budapest airport, in partnership with SSP. The following month, the company told Propel is seeing “strong” performance in its regional and travel locations and has “several more prospective sites” in the pipeline, as Soho it made its debut in the north west of England with an opening at Liverpool John Lennon airport.

Why franchise with Soho Coffee Co

• ✓Franchisees will be supported by dedicated, experienced operators and take part in a highly innovative product development and marketing programme. The design and menu are tailored to the country. Access to capital and funding is necessary, but Soho will work with franchisees to build a business case to access the funding required for site acquisition, fit out and working capital. Experience operating in the hospitality market or operating branded food business is also required. Soho do not keep a portfolio of sites available for franchise and is highly unlikely to franchise single site locations in the UK. The company says it has a sales mix 55:45 weighted to food, and while privately-owned, has “established strategic franchise partnerships in the UK and internationally”.