Image of a independent coffee report

Every week, another coffee shop closes.

Not because the owner doesn’t care.
Not because customers stopped coming.

But because the numbers no longer work.

This report—led by John Richardson, The Café Expert, in collaboration with the Independent Coffee Collective—reveals the real financial pressures behind UK coffee shop closures.

Based on real operator data, it shows:

  • 20+ taxes, levies and mandatory costs
  • 17p of every £1 going to HMRC
  • 13,000+ businesses lost since 2022

This isn’t a perception problem.

It’s a numbers problem.

Continue to the full report & key findings (opens in a new tab)

Already being shared across the industry and with policymakers

John Richardson, The Café Expert

Led by John Richardson

The Café Expert

20+
Seperate taxes, levies & mandatory costs
2nd
highest VAT rate in Europe
13,250+
hospitality buisinesses insolvent since VAT hike in April 2022