OCO, one of Starbucks’ longest operating franchisees in the UK, is set to create 120 jobs as part of a £4m investment in new stores across Scotland and the north of England.
With 12 years of continuous sales growth, OCO currently operates 23 stores across the region, employing around 480 people, and plans to grow to 29 stores by the end of 2027 with the majority of the new sites expected to be drive-thru’s.
Building and empowering its ‘partners’
The expansion plans follow OCO’s recent recognition as one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, with the business pointing to real living wage pay, internal promotion and investment in training as central to supporting its people – known internally as ‘partners’.
OCO said an important part of this is building and empowering teams where people can see a future in hospitality, not always just a short term job. Last year 83 per cent of promotions across the business were filled internally as people progressed into new roles.
More than half of OCO’s workforce hold the Coffee Master qualification, Starbucks’ advanced barista training programme, which the company describes as earning the ‘black belt’ of coffee making.
• To read the full news story, view Franchise World Autumn 2026 issue, page 29.