Costa Coffee has collaborated with Cineworld to open sites in 26 locations across the UK.
As part of the 10-year agreement, Costa Coffee will replace the current coffee offer which is operated by rival Starbucks, with the rollout taking place throughout the year. The first few stores are due to open this summer, and the majority of sites are expected to be open by the end of 2026.
Each store will feature Costa Coffee’s latest modern store design, with a mix of sit-in and takeaway options tailored to a range of customer needs, from pre- and post-film visits. There will also be self-service order screens for those on-the-go, a dedicated collection point, and comfortable seating.
All existing staff at the current coffee operator’s stores will be offered the opportunity to be retained and retrained in line with Costa’s standards, the operator added.
Locations include: Ashton Under-Lyne, Speke, Edinburgh, Brighton, Crawley, Sheffield, and Leeds.
Costa said the move is expected to deliver a significant long‑term sales opportunity, reflecting both companies’ commitment to enhancing the cinema experience while expanding Costa Coffee’s presence across high‑footfall leisure and retail destinations.
“We’re pleased to be working with Cineworld to support the continued expansion of Costa Coffee’s footprint across the UK,” said Andrew Miller, express and corporate sales director UK&I at Costa Coffee. “This collaboration enables us to further strengthen our presence within high-footfall leisure environments, aligning with our strategy to meet customers wherever they are, while contributing to an enhanced cinema experience.”
Sites inside supermarkets and drive-thrus are high on the agenda as part of this, with Costa recently celebrating the opening of its 50th location with Sainsbury’s with a site at the supermarket’s Leicester North Superstore. The pair first struck a deal in early 2024 which saw the coffee chain invest more than £3m to open new cafes in 11 of Sainsbury’s stores throughout the year. Earlier this year, it announced it would open 30 more sites in the retailer’s locations by summer.
The latest milestone represents a combined total investment of £16m, with 400 jobs created as part of the expansion process.
A further milestone came in March 2026 when Costa celebrated opening its 400th drive-thru with a new site in Norwich.
Despite the openings, the coffee operator’s estate shrunk in 2025 by 44 to a UK-wide total of 2,627 as of 1 January 2026. This saw Greggs, which operated 2,739 sites as of the same day, take pole position in British Baker’s Bakery Market Report 2026.
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