Leading coffee shop chains in Europe 2020, by units

Costa Coffee ranked as the leading coffee shop chain in Europe in 2020. The British coffee store chain accounted for a total of 3,148 units across Europe. Meanwhile, McCafé and Starbucks placed second and third, respectively.

The top coffeehouse players in Europe

Costa Coffee, McCafé, and Starbucks were the three top players in the European coffee shop and café market, however, the presence of each brand varies widely by country. For instance, Costa’s leading market was by far the United Kingdom, where the vast majority of stores are based. Similarly, most of the Starbucks stores in Europe were also in the UK. However, McCafe’s presence in Europe was spread across the mainland, with their biggest market in Germany.

Where are the main coffee shop markets in Europe?

Although there are many coffee loving nations within Europe, the coffeehouse culture varies by country. While the UK is a big market for coffee-focused stores that follow a Starbucks-style format, cafés are the primary locations for coffee lovers in Italy, Portugal and Turkey. The number of cafés and coffee shops in such European countries therefore varies, with Italy in the lead overall.