Black Sheep Coffee (www.blacksheepcoffee.co.uk) is accelerating its UK expansion with a new franchise development agreement securing a minimum of 20 new stores across West Yorkshire and the Northern Counties, including Northumberland, Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway.
The agreement will see the brand expand its presence across the North of England and southern Scotland, building on its existing estate and bringing its specialty-grade coffee, food and drinks offering to new audiences across the region. The roll-out is expected to create around 300 jobs over the next 5 years.
The stores will be opened by SUR Group, Black Sheep Coffee’s largest franchise partner by store numbers. The Glasgow-based group joined the network in May 2024 and now operates seven Black Sheep Coffee stores across West Scotland, including Glasgow and Ayr.
The new agreement represents a significant opportunity to build on this success, while further strengthening SUR Group’s partnership with Black Sheep Coffee. The additional territory will complement the brand’s two existing stores in Leeds and extend its reach into communities where customers may not yet have experienced the brand.
The new stores will be considered across a range of formats and locations, including high streets, retail parks and drive-thrus. This flexible approach will allow Black Sheep Coffee to reach customers in a variety of settings, making its offering more accessible both to existing customers and those discovering the brand for the first time.
Gabriel Shohet and Eirik Holth, co-founders of Black Sheep Coffee, said: “We’re thrilled to build on our presence in Leeds and bring Black Sheep Coffee to even more communities across the North through the opening of at least 20 new stores.
SUR Group has been a brilliant franchise partner in Glasgow and Ayr, with a real understanding of what makes Black Sheep distinctive – from our specialty-grade coffee and wider menu to the experience we create in every store.”
Suhail Rehman, multi brand franchise partner at SUR Group, said: “We’re proud to be growing our partnership with Black Sheep Coffee. Having seen the brand’s potential first-hand, we’re excited to take it into new territories and bring the Black Sheep Coffee experience to more customers.”
Tariq Din, business development director at SUR Group, who will lead the roll-out, said: “We’ve spent the last couple of years learning what makes a Black Sheep store work: the right product, the right location and above all, the right team providing a great customer experience. We’ll be looking at everything from high streets to drive-thrus, and we want to hear from landlords with access to high footfall locations.”
The expansion will bring Black Sheep Coffee’s specialty-grade 100% Robusta coffee, alongside its Arabica range, matcha, food, cold drinks and distinctive store designs to more communities across the region.
