Urban Baristas

About Urban Baristas

Aussie-inspired coffee concept Urban Baristas was founded in 2016 by Huw Wardrope and Jono Bowman and started out in a small kiosk in Bounds Green, north London. Wardrope first came to the UK in 2006, a decade before founding Urban Baristas, and previously worked in finance before pivoting to coffee. “The UK at that time just didn’t seem to have many good coffee places like we were used to in Australia,” he said. In December 2023, the then 12-strong business launched a franchise programme, saying it was aiming to add 30 additional sites by 2026. “We’d been thinking about franchising for a while and we think it can take us outside of London, to market towns around the M25 - there are huge opportunities there,” Wardrope said. “We want to be all round the UK but will close London first.” Urban Baristas opened its first franchise site in February 2024, in Tooting Bec. In October 2025, the company secured a multi-site development deal with Anytime Fitness franchisee Aary Walia, and in November 2025, the company said it is lining up its first regional location, in Liverpool. That same month, speaking at the Propel Franchisor Showcase, Wardrope said: “London’s coffee scene has developed a lot, but regional towns mirror that demand, and there’s a huge opportunity outside of London. Store economics outside of London are really attractive too, with a lot less risk for franchisees. I’m quite excited about being outside of London, especially the affluent market towns, where our brand sits well. We’re in discussions about area development deals outside of London now too. I’m quite comfortable going up against some of the big high street in these regional towns as I believe our product is better.” Further growth in London is also planned as Urban Baristas has eight franchise stores in legals - in Bow, Old Street, Hounslow, Southgate, Fleet Street, Elephant & Castle, Greenwich and Marsh Wall - with a further six equity stories are either in legals (Bermondsey, Bermondsey Street and Hackney) or already in fit-out (Fulham, Shoreditch and Greenford). Wardrope added: “Our aim is to do four to six corporate stores a year and franchises on top of that. International expansion is in the back of my mind, and we’ve had discussions about the US and UAE, but we don’t want to overstretch ourselves and we have big demand in the UK at the moment. We want to make sure our systems and processes are in place, and that will allow for international growth when the time is right.” The following month, Wardrope said there’s a “real appetite for speciality coffee franchising at the moment”, and that he believes big brands are “struggling to build loyalty with younger generation”. He said: “It feels like there’s a real appetite for speciality coffee franchising at the moment. I moved here in 2006, and the coffee scene was still dominated by the high street brands, but the last two to three years seen a big shift in consumer choices, especially from the younger generations. They’re after a higher quality product and they’re willing to pay for that. The big brands are also struggling to build loyalty with the younger generation. That’s why we think the time is right now for speciality coffee.”

In May 2026, Wardrope told Propel that Urban Baristas is “tracking towards 45-plus sites by the end of 2026” and is exploring new formats, including drive-thrus. He said: “Outside London, Liverpool has had an outstanding start and reinforces what we believe is a significant national opportunity. We're also exploring new formats - our first shopping centre location is performing well, and drive-thru and retail parks are firmly on the radar as we expand nationally.” Site number 27 opened in Northwood, north west London, in July 2026.

Why franchise with Urban Baristas

• ✓Average start-up cost for an Urban Baristas franchise is £150,000, with a minimum personal contribution of £85,000, and with both single and multi-unit partners being sought. Total investment required ranges from £150,000 to £275,000, with estimated sales per store being £650,000 and projected Ebitda £100,750. Franchisees get a brand with a strong track record of success, a loyal customer base and a reputation for excellence in the coffee industry. They receive comprehensive training in coffee preparation, customer service and business operations, and ongoing support is provided. Franchisees gain access to Urban Baristas “meticulously sourced and freshly roasted coffee beans”, ensuring customers experience the “same exceptional flavours found in Urban Baristas cafés”. They also benefit from Urban Baristas’ unique café design and ambiance, “creating an inviting and memorable environment for your customers”. The business added: “Urban Baristas has developed a thriving creative community, fuelled by amazing coffee and deliciously healthy Aussie food, is are now looking for experienced partners across the UK to join their growing family. We have a tried and tested technology stack to make running a coffee shop as smooth as possible and maximise your earning potential.” It added that an ideal partner should be “passionate about providing great service and financially motivated to drive sales and profits”.