Bob & Berts opens Warrington café in UK growth push

Bob & Berts will open a new café at Golden Square Shopping Centre in Warrington on August 26, the first opening in the independent coffee shop brand's next phase of UK expansion.

Founded in Portstewart, Northern Ireland in 2013, Bob & Berts has grown from a single neighbourhood shop to 28 stores across Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. Group sales hit £24.3 million for the fiscal year ending June 2026, up 8% year on year. Trading EBITDA rose to £2.8 million from £1.6 million in FY25.

The new Warrington store, measuring 3,000 sq ft, will seat 135 guests and create 20 jobs. Customers can order at the till, via self-service kiosks or from their table through the brand's digital ordering technology.

Bob & Berts won the Best Customer Experience award at the QSR Media Awards 2026. The recognition reflects how digital ordering frees staff to focus on service, the company said.

"Warrington is the first store in our next phase of expansion," founder Colin McClean said. "Golden Square immediately stood out as the right location."

Co-owner David Ferguson added that Warrington "forms an important part of our long-term expansion strategy". The brand runs a full kitchen serving breakfasts, brunches and lunches alongside handcrafted drinks.

The company is planning further locations as part of a five-year expansion strategy, with digital ordering playing a growing role in new store formats.

Bob & Berts operates in a competitive UK café market where chains like Costa, Pret a Manger and Greggs have been expanding aggressively. The brand differentiates with its all-day dining model and Northern Irish heritage.

The Warrington opening brings Bob & Berts' English store count to roughly a dozen, with the majority still in its home market of Northern Ireland. The next phase targets more English towns, the company indicated.

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