Costa Coffee’s ten new Scottish openings in 2026 as it serves up £3.5m growth plan

The latest cafes will create in excess of 70 jobs and take the chain’s total Scottish retail estate to more than 200 outlets, in what the firm said was a signal of its long-term confidence in Scotland as a key growth market.

The first opening of 2026 was due to take place today at Costa Coffee’s Bishopbriggs branch at Strathkelvin Retail Park, which has undergone a substantial extension and refurbishment. The store has expanded into an additional unit, nearly doubling in size overall, to accommodate 116 seats across indoor and outdoor areas.

Following the opening of the enlarged Bishopbriggs site, Costa Coffee - which was founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971 - will launch several new locations north of the Border in 2026, including Edinburgh Airport, Princes Street and Pilton Drive in the Scottish capital, plus four new outlets in Sainsbury’s superstores, including Livingston, and a store within Next, Dumbarton.

Many of the openings will be delivered in collaboration with major retail operators, which Costa said reflected its focus on “accessible, convenience-led locations across high streets, travel hubs and retail destinations”.

Outlining the latest £3.5 million Scottish investment, Laura Crow, regional operations director for Scotland and the north of England at Costa Coffee, described reaching over 200 stores in Scotland as a “significant and exciting milestone” for the business, which has been owned by Coca-Cola since early 2019.

“We’re proud to be investing not only in new locations, but also in enhancing existing stores and creating valuable jobs and careers in communities across the country,” she said.

“Suburban high street locations are doing really well as they are at the heart of communities. It’s the locals that come in and out. Our retail park stores are also thriving at the moment. They are really busy environments and that’s what’s drawing people into our stores.”

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There has been talk of the market reaching saturation, or “peak coffee”, with the dominance of major brands such as Costa Coffee, Starbucks, Caffè Nero and more recently Black Sheep Coffee, which has also been growing its footprint. Sandwich and snacks chains such as Greggs and Pret have also been muscling in on the coffee-to-go market with their cheaper prices often appealing to cash-strapped consumers.

However, Crow said custom was holding up well, despite the continuing cost-of-living pressures, and cited a number of factors.

“People are still spending but maybe they have reduced the amount they are spending in a week,” she noted. “Where you may have seen the regular customer come in twice in a day you might only see them once a day now.

“The shift back to more regular office working is helping to support us. Our city centres will start to thrive that little bit more during the week.

“All our store teams get dedicated training,” Crow added. “Then we have coffee masters that come and spend time with our teams to make sure we deliver a great cup of coffee. If you pay £4 or £5 for a coffee then it’s got to be great and consistent.

“These new stores will see us hiring local people and younger people. It’s a big brand but it’s in your local community. Everything is around that community. Some stores even do chess nights or host book reading clubs.”

The refreshed and enlarged Bishopbriggs store features a redesigned counter layout, an additional till point and upgraded coffee equipment to enhance speed of service, alongside Costa Coffee’s new range of freshly baked pastries. To support the bigger store, seven new baristas have joined the local team.

Crow added: “Our breakfast and lunch deals do really well. We are putting ourselves out there to make sure that we appeal to every customer. While we need to bring in that younger generation we are mindful that we want a nice environment for all age groups.”

The firm recently announced that it would be giving a 4.1 per cent pay rise to more than 16,000 of its staff working in its company-owned stores in the UK. From April, those workers will see wages rise from £12.60 per hour to £13.12. The company does not operate age bandings.

The Scottish investment forms part of Costa Coffee’s wider strategy to strengthen its presence in regional markets and support local employment and retail growth.

Costa Coffee is present in more than 50 countries, with 2,700-plus coffee shops in the UK and Ireland and some 1,300 elsewhere globally. In 2011, the company purchased Coffee Nation, which was rebranded and expanded to become Costa Express.

David Lonsdale, director of industry body the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), said: “This significant investment by Costa marks a vote of confidence in and tangible boost to Scotland’s town and city retail destinations.

“High streets and destinations require a mixture of retail and hospitality offerings of all types, from national chains to independent businesses. This combination helps drive footfall, and consequently sales, as part of a wider retail ecosystem.

“Opening these stores and creating these jobs will have a positive multiplier effect on the wider economy helping to support both communities and the local economy.”

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