Popular Coffee Company Rapidly Taking South Africa By Storm.
Seattle Coffee Company was started by Americans in London, and has quickly grown to over 300 locations in South Africa.
Seattle was founded in London by husband-and-wife team Alley and Scott Svenson, who wanted to bring the experience of speciality coffee brands from their hometown of Seattle.
The company was introduced to South Africa by friends Pete and Barry, who opened the first store in Cavendish, Cape Town, in 1997.
The South African entity now remains independent of any international parent company and runs as a local family-run business.
Food Lover’s Market acquired a majority stake in the business in 2015, but it continues to operate independently.
Speaking with BusinessTech, Jared Jabour, Managing Director of Seattle, broke down the business’s expansion plans
The group now has 325 locations across South Africa, with more stores set to open in the coming years.
Jabour said that the group plans to open 40 locations in the current financial year, which ends in February 2026 (2026 financial year).
The group also plans to open another 40 stores in each of the 2027 and 2028 financial years.
Jabour said that its current locations vary from cafes to convenience stores across the country, with the group having strong relationships with Sasol and Ashtron/Caltex.
In addition to its South African operations, the company also has locations in Namibia and Zimbabwe, with its first store opening this year to great success.
Seattle plans to open new locations in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, Namibia, soon, with all prior locations having been in Windhoek.
Jabour added that many landlords have been knocking on Seattle’s doors to expand their presence in South Africa and its neighbouring countries.
However, the majority of its locations are company-owned, which means that the company acts with caution as it needs to build cash before expanding.
Jabour said that training, building infrastructure, and creating the supply chain are not easy endeavours.
The group has a franchise model with its regional partners, who have the right to expand Seattle in certain regions.
While the company has rights in the Western Cape, inland South Africa and Namibia, regional partners are present in Kimberly, Knysna, KZN, Mpumalanga and Zimbabwe.
Price relief potentially on the cards
Coffee has experienced some of the most significant price increases over the last couple of years, with September 2025 recording an improved inflation rate of 9.0%.
Coffee prices have risen amid adverse weather conditions, increasing production costs and stronger global demand.
Jabour said that Seattle speaks directly with its suppliers to understand the conditions facing farmers, and he believes that cost pressures should start to ease.
From his perspective, he believes that cost pressures should start easing in the coming year.
He said that cost pressures are starting to stabilise, but warned that other shocks are still possible.
Even if input costs do start declining, Jabour said that customers are unlikely to see the cost changes immediately, as retailers act with caution.
While coffee is the group’s dominant category, Jabour said that the company is expanding into other products, including smoothies with long shelf lives.
Although the company is keeping an eye on the growing trend of Matcha, he said that the company is not quick to move on trends, as it likes to perfect its offerings before going to market.
Seattle Coffee Co. Images
