Average Coffee Shop Revenue in the UK
Quick answer
An independent UK coffee shop typically turns over £180,000 to £600,000 a year, with £250,000 a fair working average for a single-site café with 20–30 covers. That is roughly £4,800 a week, or about £680 a day across a six-and-a-half-day trading week. Kiosks and hatches usually sit between £90,000 and £180,000; high-footfall city sites with strong food sales regularly clear £600,000.
Key takeaways
- •£250,000 a year is a fair working average for a UK independent café; the full range is £180K–£600K.
- •Daily revenue of £600–£900 is normal for a 20–30 cover independent trading six to seven days.
- •Average transaction value of £5.50–£8.50 matters more than customer count in most turnaround cases.
- •Revenue per square foot (£300–£700) is the only benchmark that compares sites of different sizes fairly.
- •Food attachment is the single biggest separator between a £200K site and a £400K site on the same footfall.
See what your revenue leaves you at the bottom line
Turnover only means something next to your rent, wage cost and gross margin. Put yours in.
Your net margin
31.5% · £130,880/yr
On £416,000 annual turnover. Strong — top quartile for a UK independent.
| Cost line | Yours | UK benchmark | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of goods | 32.0% | 28–34% | On benchmark |
| Rent | 6.3% | 8–12% | On benchmark |
| Wages | 21.6% | 28–35% | On benchmark |
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What the average actually looks like week by week
A £250,000-a-year café takes about £4,800 a week. On a seven-day week that is £685 a day, but real trading is never flat: Monday to Thursday typically deliver 60–70% of the weekday average, Friday and Saturday carry the week, and Sunday swings hardest on location. A commuter site can take £1,100 on a Wednesday and £280 on a Sunday; a residential site does the exact opposite. Judging a site on its annual number alone hides which of those days is actually broken.
The two numbers behind the total: covers and average transaction value
Revenue is customer count multiplied by average transaction value, and UK independents usually have far more room in the second. A typical independent runs an average transaction of £5.50 to £8.50. Sites selling drinks only sit at the bottom of that; sites with a credible food offer and a retail shelf sit at the top. Lifting the average transaction by £1.00 on 120 customers a day adds roughly £43,000 a year with no extra footfall, no extra rent and almost no extra labour.
Revenue per square foot: the benchmark that travels
Total revenue tells you nothing without the size of the room. UK independents generally clear £300 to £700 per square foot per year. A 700 sq ft café at £400 per square foot turns over £280,000; the same room at £650 turns over £455,000 on the same rent bill. If your revenue per square foot is below £300, the problem is almost always dwell-time management, counter throughput at peak, or an offer that stops at 11am — not the catchment.
How format changes the expected number
Kiosks and hatches take £90,000 to £180,000 on very low overheads, and they can be more profitable in pounds kept than a café twice their turnover. Small independents with under 20 covers land at £150,000 to £280,000. A full-fit café with a kitchen, 25–40 covers and all-day food usually reaches £300,000 to £600,000. Drive-thru and roadside formats break the pattern completely, with volume driven by traffic count rather than street footfall.
What a revenue number does not tell you
Turnover is the most quoted and least useful figure in the sector. A £450,000 café paying £65,000 in rent and running 42% wage cost keeps less money than a £230,000 café paying £14,000 in rent with an owner behind the counter. Before benchmarking your revenue against anyone else's, take your rent, your wage percentage and your gross margin — the revenue figure only becomes meaningful next to those three.
UK independent café revenue benchmarks by format
| Format | Typical annual revenue | Typical daily take | Typical ATV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiosk or hatch | £90,000–£180,000 | £280–£550 | £4.20–£6.00 |
| Small independent (under 20 covers) | £150,000–£280,000 | £450–£800 | £5.00–£7.00 |
| Full-fit café with kitchen | £300,000–£600,000 | £850–£1,700 | £7.00–£11.00 |
| High-footfall city centre | £400,000–£750,000 | £1,200–£2,200 | £6.50–£9.50 |
| Roadside or drive-thru | £350,000–£900,000 | £1,000–£2,600 | £5.50–£8.00 |
Indicative UK ranges reviewed September 2026, drawn from independent single-site accounts and operator-reported takings.
What this article doesn't cover
- —Chain and franchise unit revenue — brand-led sites run to different volume and cost models entirely.
- —Roastery and wholesale turnover — bean sales have a different revenue rhythm and margin structure.
- —Individual site forecasts — a real number needs catchment data, footfall counts and a costed menu.
- —Event, festival and mobile trading revenue — seasonal and not comparable with a fixed site.
These are deliberate boundaries. Anything above needs advice specific to your site, capital, and risk tolerance — book a call or a feasibility study.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does an average UK coffee shop make per day?
Most independent UK cafés take between £600 and £900 a day. Kiosks typically run £280–£550, while full-fit city sites with food regularly pass £1,500 on peak days.
Is £200,000 a year good revenue for a coffee shop?
It is normal rather than good. £200,000 supports a healthy business when rent is under £20,000 and wage cost stays below 32% of sales; on a £45,000 rent it is very difficult to make the same turnover work.
How many customers does a UK coffee shop serve a day?
A typical independent serves 90–160 customers a day. Below 80 the site is usually either in the wrong catchment or invisible from the street; above 200 the constraint becomes counter throughput rather than demand.
What is a good average transaction value for a café?
£5.50–£8.50 is the normal UK independent range. Drinks-only sites cluster near £5.00; sites with a strong lunch offer and retail beans clear £8.00.
Does revenue or margin matter more when buying a café?
Margin, every time. Buyers routinely overpay for turnover that carries a broken cost base. Ask for the wage percentage, the rent and the gross margin before you look at the revenue line.