Frequently Asked Questions

What do I get for my franchise fee?

• The right to set up and operate a Black Sheep Coffee for an initial period of five years. This is renewable for two further five-year terms.
• Access to the brand and operational know how.
• Full training by our dedicated Learning and Development team.
• Franchise manual: the ‘how-to’ operate a Black Sheep Coffee

Do need experience running a coffee shop?

No. A knowledge of operating in the retail industry is preferred, but not essential. We will support you every step of the way to ensure you can operate a Black Sheep Coffee successfully.

Do I need to have found a location?

No. We have a pipeline of exciting sites across the country and we can offer a franchise partner a unit in their preferred location. Alternatively, if you have a site in mind, we can support you in acquiring it. Use the Property Approval Form to submit your own site for consideration.

How long before I open?

is a variable that is determined by: site availability and timely signing of the franchise agreement.

What are the key steps in the franchise process?

• Sign and return NDA 
• Receive our site pipeline (pre-negotiated locations signed or currently in legals), indicative financial information and Franchise Agreement;
• Pick one or more sites from our pipeline or submit your own for consideration using the Property Approval Form on our website. Sites from our pipeline are available on a first-come-first-served basis;
• Receive Heads of Terms/Lease and site designs;
• Sites from our pipeline can be reserved for 15 business days by paying a non-refundable deposit;
• Submit responses to Franchisee Due Diligence Questionnaire;
• Sign Franchise Agreement and pay Brand License Fee.
• Each deposit paid to reserve a site will be deductible from one
• Brand License Fee;
• Access the full Franchise Manual – your ‘how to’ guide covering every aspect of operating a Black Sheep Coffee store;
• Building of site; hiring and training of key team members, organised and carried out in collaboration with us; and
• Opening day

Do I have to use your designers to design my black sheep coffee unit?

Yes. We have found that it works best when our designers, who know Black Sheep Coffee
like the back of their hand, design the unit. It avoids delays and costly errors.

How much capital do I need?

• Typical store build cost: £350k-450k depending on the store size and format
• Recommended liquidity for contingency and working capital: £100k
• Training is set at an hourly or day rate and depends on the experience of your staff.

When can I expect payback?

We target a payback period of between 2.1 and 3.4 years

What other costs are involved?

Training of your staff done here at our Black Sheep Coffee training centre in Central London and shadow shifts in our corporate stores.
We recommend between 2-3 weeks training depending on the experience of your staff and the cost for this is charged on a day rate basis

Can you help with recruitment?

Yes, we post your job ads and screen CVS for you, but the actual interview process and hiring is up to you. We help you get the right team by recommending what roles to hire and how many people to have on shift at any one time, specific to your location and store size.