You haven’t made it until you’ve made it in the US – a vast land of opportunity that remains the true test of any coffee business’s international expansion strategy. Put your best foot forward, rise to the occasion and knock it out of the park in 2026 with exclusive World Coffee Portal data and analysis on the US branded coffee shop market. No time to read? Download our Project Café USA 2026 infographic for all the essential info
Project Café USA 2026, World Coffee Portal’s definitive report on the US branded coffee shop market, shows the $58.5bn segment grew 4.2% over the last year to exceed 45,200 outlets trading across 588 unique brands.
The big picture
Most coffee chains achieved year-on-year sales growth over the last 12 months, but operators face an increasingly difficult trading environment as economic uncertainty and pressure from record green coffee costs, inflation, and more cautious consumer spending.
Notably, in September 2025, market leader Starbucks announced plans to
close hundreds of company-owned outlets across North America and make further corporate layoffs.
