Number of The Coffee Club locations Australia 2025, by state

Despite operating in a highly competitive environment, home-grown specialty coffee shop chain The Coffee Club maintains a strong presence across Australia, with over 220 locations nationwide as of January 2025. Queensland alone was home to around 100 locations, with Western Australia emerging as its second-largest market.

The Coffee Club’s expanding global presence

Founded in Brisbane, Australia, in 1989, The Coffee Club has grown into the country’s largest local café brand, with around 400 stores across the globe, primarily located in Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand. Although facing competition from internationally renowned giants like McCafé and Starbucks, The Coffee Club has successfully carved out its niche in Australia's thriving café scene, cementing its place among the over 55,000 cafés and restaurants in operation across the country. Alongside this, the brand planned to grow and upgrade its store network in Thailand throughout 2025, and intended to make its debut in Kenya in the first quarter. 

McCafé continues to pull ahead

Coffee holds a special place in Australian culture. As of 2025, McCafé had the highest presence across popular coffee franchises operating in Australia, with over 1,045 locations. Interestingly, global coffee powerhouse Starbucks has struggled to gain traction in Australia, with a relatively small network of around 80 Starbucks cafés as of March 2025. This underscores the unique preferences of Australian coffee drinkers and the strength of local brands like The Coffee Club, Donut King, and Gloria Jeans, alongside independent, specialty roasteries.