Costa Coffee reaches 400 UK drive-thrus as format continues to drive growth

Costa Coffee has reached a major milestone in its UK property strategy, opening its 400th drive-thru store as the format continues to play a key role in the evolution of its retail estate.

The new Norwich Broadway Enterprise Park drive-thru store marks the latest step in Costa Coffee’s long-term investment in drive-thru stores, as the business continues to expand its presence in convenient, on-the-go formats, and outpace many competitors in a challenging market.

Costa Coffee is the UK’s largest drive-thru coffee operator and plans to open up to 40 new drive-thru stores across the UK in 2026, reflecting sustained consumer demand for speed, accessibility and quality coffee experiences.

Nick Ridley, Property & Store Development Director at Costa Coffee, said the format has become an increasingly important part of the brand’s estate strategy: “Drive-thrus are one of the fastest-growing parts of our retail estate, and play an important role in meeting changing customer missions. For many customers it’s about convenience – grabbing a coffee on the commute, during the school run or while travelling.”

Costa Coffee currently operates more than 2,800 stores in the UK, spanning high streets, retail parks, shopping centres, transport hubs and drive-thru locations. Alongside new openings, the business continues to invest significantly in its existing estate, with an ongoing programme of store refurbishments designed to enhance the customer experience across its portfolio. Over the past year, Costa Coffee has refurbished more than 110 high street locations and over 100 stores in shopping centres and retail parks, reinforcing its ongoing investment across its core estate.

“Our coffee shops remain central to the Costa Coffee experience,” Nick Ridley added. “Drive-thrus are not a replacement for the high street – they complement our wider estate by serving different moments in a customer’s day and helping us reach customers where they want us to be.

As an early adopter of the drive-thru format within the coffee category, Costa Coffee has secured a strong pipeline of high-quality locations across the UK. A majority of its drive-thru sites are situated alongside a full coffee shop, providing flexibility for customers who want to sit in or take away.

The company’s continued expansion has been supported by strong, long-standing partnerships with developers, landlords and property agents, positioning Costa Coffee as a trusted brand to work with in a competitive market.

However, the business notes that delivering new drive-thru locations is becoming increasingly complex and competitive.  “Developing drive-thru sites requires navigating a range of challenges, from securing suitable roadside locations to managing planning constraints, rising construction costs, and timelines which can often extend to several years,” said Nick Ridley. “Competition for prime sites remains intense, with multiple operators targeting the same high-quality locations, placing upward pressure on rents and increasing the importance of early site identification and strong partner relationships.”

Despite these challenges, Costa Coffee continues to see significant opportunity for further expansion: “Our network planning shows there are still strong opportunities for drive-thrus across the UK,” Nick Ridley concluded. “We continue to actively seek new locations and work closely with partners to bring forward the right sites.”

This investment forms part of a wider programme to evolve Costa Coffee’s UK estate, including new openings, relocations and a significant pipeline of store refurbishments across its existing portfolio, particularly within its high street estate, as the business continues to adapt to changing consumer behaviour.