Costa coffee is a UK national treasure, as anyone who relies on this tasty beverage to wake them up in the morning will tell you. It is a coffeehouse chain that was founded over fifty years ago, in 1971, in London.

It was founded by Sergio Costa as a supply business initially. They sold roasted coffee wholesale style to various coffee shops. The business grew and was bought in 1995 by Whitbread. Sometime during those thirty years, it also became a UK symbol of good coffee shop chains.

Coca-Cola steps in

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Despite Costa coffee being quite the famous brand, it didn’t spread outside the UK. Not until Coca-Cola bought the entire company from Whitbread in 2019. The deal was worth some $5.1b. The chain began spreading over Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific.

And, now, Costa came to the US

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Costa’s first step on American soil was during the National Restaurant Association Show, held last June in Chicago. Since 2019, Costa is already the 2nd largest chain of coffeehouses in the world. It is still #1 in the UK by far and now it is conquering the USA.

This is despite the COVID-19 pandemic slowing down the spear in 2020 when many of the shops had to be closed down. However, the period after the pandemic might work in favor of Coca-Cola. It is because espresso-based beverage consumption is not officially higher than pre-pandemic.

The GM of Costa Coffee for the US, Tim Warner, has said that the American coffee industry is currently open for new players. This is because, as he says, the USA is one of the biggest coffee consumers in the world currently.

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There is a record 26% increase in coffee and espresso-based beverage consumption increase since 2020 and since Coca-Cola bought the company. These figures are backed by the National Coffee Association: 2022 Specialty Coffee Report.

Mr. Warner continued by explaining that being a completely beverage-oriented company, Coca-Cola contributed with new coffee solutions throughout the years. They included multiple formats and various options and Costa Coffee is their first jab at bringing premium quality coffee to US soil.

It already has an established world fan base, says Warner, and its goal is to reimagine the entire coffee offer. This is why Coca-Cola will offer a plethora of solutions but will focus on coffee machines and other flexible options for consumers.