Coutume’s store on the third floor of iconic department store Galeries Lafayette in Paris | Photo credit: Coutume

Specialty coffee roaster and café group Coutume is launching its first franchise programme to expand to other major cities beyond Paris and lay the groundwork for further international expansion. 
 

Founded in 2010, Coutume currently operates 11 outlets across Paris and supplies some of the French capital's most prominent coffee shops, restaurants, hotels and businesses. The specialty coffee roaster also operates two stores in Doha, Qatar, following its international debut in late 2022. 

Coutume has highlighted Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes, Marseille and Lille as key cities where it plans to open flagship stores but added that its franchise-led expansion is also likely to include smaller footprint stores and kiosks. The specialty coffee roaster is expected to partner with French franchisees that either already are or have the capital to be multi-site operators. 

Beyond expansion to ‘all major cities in France’, Coutume is also seeking master franchise candidates internationally with a focus on Asia. 

“We are looking for real partners ready to become essential local players in the heart of their region to help the French learn to taste and train in the art of coffee. Through our coffee shops, we are committed to offering our customers ‘the ultimate Coutume experience’ which goes beyond the tasting of our retail products and which offers them a real journey to free from their daily lives,” said Tom Clark, Founder, Coutume. 

In September 2023, Clark outlined plans for Coutume to open three new ‘points of sale’ in 2024. 

Coutume achieved 38% year-on-year sales growth in 2023 to reach €6.9m ($7.5m). The retail segment currently contributes approximately 58% of total sales, with business-to-business accounting for the remaining 42%.