Who owns Starbucks UK?

Starbucks Corporation does, the American company listed on the Nasdaq in New York. The UK business is not a separate British company with its own owners. It is a wholly controlled subsidiary, and the chain of control on the public register runs straight back to Seattle.

There is one twist, and it matters if you are standing in a queue. Starbucks runs only around 40% of its UK stores itself. The rest are run by licensed partners, other companies that pay Starbucks to use the name, the recipes and the coffee. So who owns "your" Starbucks depends on which one you are in.

What does the register show?

Starbucks Coffee Company (UK) Limited is company number 02959325, based at Chiswick Park in west London. It was incorporated in August 1994 as Strendell Limited and renamed Seattle Coffee Company (UK) Limited that November. That was the name of the British coffee chain Starbucks bought in 1998, the year the company took the Starbucks name.

Its register of people with significant control names one controller: Starbucks Coffee Holdings (UK) Limited, which has the right to appoint and remove its directors. That holding company's own register names Starbucks Corporation of Washington State, holding 75% or more of the shares and the votes.

So the answer runs in three steps: the UK trading company, the UK holding company, and Starbucks Corporation at the top.

Who owns Starbucks Corporation?

Its shareholders. Starbucks is a public company, so its shares are held mainly by investment funds, pension funds and index trackers, with no single owner in control. Howard Schultz, who built the modern company, no longer runs it. Brian Niccol has been chief executive since September 2024.

In September 2026 Niccol told staff the business "has made the turn", after four quarters of rising same-store sales worldwide. For a British shopper, what matters is that decisions about the brand, the menu and the coffee are made by a US-listed company, not in the UK.

Who runs the Starbucks you are standing in?

It depends on the store.

In October 2024 Starbucks bought 23.5 Degrees, its largest UK licensee, which ran 113 stores, about two-thirds of them drive-thrus. After that deal, company-run stores made up about 40% of the UK estate of more than 1,200. Those stores are owned and staffed by Starbucks Coffee Company (UK) Limited.

The rest are licensed. Motorway operator Welcome Break runs Starbucks at its service areas, and travel caterer SSP Group runs Starbucks at airports, including Heathrow. Starbucks' licensed-careers site lists several smaller partners too. In a licensed store, the people behind the counter work for that partner, not for Starbucks. The partner still pays Starbucks for the brand and has to follow its standards, so you get the same drinks either way.

In 2026 Starbucks changed how it licenses in the UK, moving to a regional model it describes as giving partners clearer areas in which to open new stores. It has said it plans about 500 more UK stores over the next five years.

Does Starbucks UK make money?

Not on paper. In the year to 28 September 2025 Starbucks Coffee Company (UK) Limited reported revenue of £556.3 million, up about 6%, and an operating loss of £29.8 million, wider than the year before. The company blamed rising costs, higher wages and National Insurance, and one-off costs from closing stores in September 2025. It opened 92 new UK stores in the same year.

The UK company also pays royalties to its parent for the use of the brand. That is standard for an international chain. It also means a UK loss does not tell you what the Starbucks group earns from British customers.

Is Starbucks independent?

No. It is one of the world's biggest coffee chains, owned by a US-listed company, and a licensed Starbucks is no more independent: the owner is different, but the brand, menu and supply all come from Starbucks.

If you want a flat white from somewhere that roasts its own coffee or names its roaster, that is a different search. Our flat white guide for Lincoln names the roaster and company behind each café, and who owns every big UK coffee chain puts Starbucks next to Costa, Caffè Nero, Pret and the rest.

Questions people ask

Is Starbucks UK owned by an American company?

Yes. Starbucks Coffee Company (UK) Limited is controlled through Starbucks Coffee Holdings (UK) Limited by Starbucks Corporation, a company incorporated in Washington State and listed in the US.

Are Starbucks stores in the UK franchises?

Starbucks calls them licensed stores rather than franchises, but the effect is similar. About 60% of UK stores are run by licensed partners such as Welcome Break and SSP Group. The rest are run by Starbucks itself.

Did Starbucks buy a British coffee chain?

Yes. It entered the UK in 1998 by buying Seattle Coffee Company, and the company once registered as Seattle Coffee Company (UK) Limited is still its UK trading company today.

Last checked 16 September 2026. This article uses the Companies House records for Starbucks Coffee Company (UK) Limited (02959325) and Starbucks Coffee Holdings (UK) Limited (03346087), the company's reported results for the year to 28 September 2025, Starbucks' announcement of the 23.5 Degrees acquisition in October 2024, and its 2026 statements on UK licensing and growth. Store numbers change, so treat them as dated figures. If you spot something that needs correcting, email Highstreett and we will review it.