Sojitz Royal Café acquired exclusive franchise rights to operate Costa Coffee in Japan in March 2023 | Photo credit: Costa Coffee

3 August(World Coffee Portal) – Sojitz Royal Café will open its first Costa Coffee store in Japan on 4 August 2023 in Tokyo’s Shibuya shopping district.

The joint venture between Japanese conglomerate Sojitz Corporation and restaurant group Royal Holdings Co. will open a second Costa Coffee outlet in Tokyo’s Otemachi district on 1 September 2023 before launching a flagship store in the upscale Ginza district the following month.

Sojitz Royal Café acquired the exclusive franchise rights to operate Costa Coffee across Japan in March 2023. The group said it will facilitate Costa Coffee’s ‘full-scale entry into Japan’s café market’ with the aim of establishing the brand as one of Japan’s largest coffee chains.

Although it has not yet revealed a timeline for growth, Sojitz Royal Café said the initial three stores form part of wider national expansion plans.

Costa Coffee has had a presence in the Japanese market since 2020 with a 180-strong Costa Express self-serve network. Leveraging its relationship with parent company Coca-Cola, Costa Coffee also distributes a range of ready-to-drink coffee products via vending machines and convenience stores, primarily in Tokyo.

Founded in London in 1971, Costa Coffee has 2,700 UK stores and more than 1,100 outlets across 32 international markets. The coffee chain’s retail distribution and self-serve coffee machine network extends to 45 countries globally.

Sojitz Corporation, one of Japan’s largest general trading companies, formed a ‘capital and business tie-up’ with restaurant group Royal Holdings in February 2021. Alongside six restaurant chains, Royal Holdings also operates two outlets of The 3rd Café by Standard Coffee in Tokyo.