Master franchise deal is the second signed by parent company Cooks Coffee within nine months
Cooks Coffee has signed a master franchise deal to launch its neighbourhood-focused café chain Esquires Coffee in the UAE.
The agreement, which comes nine months after Cooks signed a similar deal to launch Esquires in India, has been signed with one of Cooks Coffee’s existing UK-based franchisees and is targeting 50 Esquires stores in the UAE by 2036.
“This agreement marks another important milestone in the international development of the Esquires Coffee brand. The UAE represents an attractive market, and we look forward to growing the brand in the region over the coming years,” said Keith Jackson, Chairman, Cooks Coffee.
New Zealand-based Cooks Coffee acquired the master franchise rights to Canada-founded Esquires Coffee in 2013 and has focused expansion on the UK and Ireland, where it currently operates 100 stores.
Beyond the UK and Ireland, the dual-listed café operator also operates a dozen Esquires stores across Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Indonesia, Jordan, and Pakistan.
With its affluent customer base, large expat population, growing tourism industry and business-friendly tax regime, the UAE has long been a magnet for international coffee chains.
World Coffee Portal research shows that the UAE is the second-largest branded coffee shop market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, after Saudi Arabia. The market grew 7% in 2024 to surpass 1,600 outlets and is forecast to exceed 2,250 outlets by the end of 2029.
