Esquires Coffee Origins
Esquires (formerly styled as Esquires Coffee) was founded in 1993 in Delta, British Columbia, Canada by entrepreneurs Doug Williamson and Gary Buckland. Beginning its journey as a single community coffee shop, the brand was built on a strong foundation of excellent coffee and creating a welcoming community space.
What started as one cafe with a simple mission to serve the best coffee around quickly resonated with customers, laying the groundwork for an international, ethical coffee franchise that has continued to thrive over the past decades.
Esquires Coffee Brand Growth
Following its launch in Canada, Esquires expanded internationally, entering the United Kingdom in 2000 and Ireland in 2001. There are now Esquires coffee shops across the globe, including Portugal, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pakistan, Bahrain and Indonesia.
Today, the Esquires brand and intellectual property rights are owned by Cooks Coffee Company, a publicly listed company on the New Zealand and Aquis Stock Exchange.
With a shared focus on ethical and sustainable business practices, Cooks Coffee Company acquired the worldwide rights in 2013, unifying the Esquires brand under a single global franchise strategy focused on quality, growth and community-oriented coffee shops.
Under Cooks Coffee Company’s ownership, Esquires has continued to expand its UK presence while maintaining its original values of great coffee, ethical sourcing and independent-feel cafe experiences.
Our UK Stores
Driven by a robust franchise model and an authentic brand identity, Esquires has achieved strong and sustained growth across the UK, with 80+ stores currently trading and a number of additional stores in development.
Each coffee shop is owned and operated by an individual franchisee, combining the passion of local, hands-on ownership with the systems, training and standards of an established brand.
This structure means we can continue delivering consistent, quality experiences nationwide, while maintaining the welcoming, community-focused feel of an independent cafe.
To find out more about our values and what makes Esquires an ethical coffee brand, read more about our ethos.