Sojitz and Royal Holdings Establish Café Management Company – Facilitating Costa Coffee’s Full-scale Entry into Japan’s Market –

Sojitz Corporation (“Sojitz Corporation”) and Royal Holdings Co., Ltd. (“Royal HD”) have established Sojitz Royal Café Corporation (“Sojitz Royal Café”) as a joint venture company with the purpose of operating and expanding the café business. Additionally, Sojitz Royal Café has acquired exclusive franchise rights in Japan for store development and operation of Costa International Limited’s coffee café brand, Costa Coffee^*1.
 

Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa Coffee is present in 45 countries around the world, with 2,800+ coffee shops in the UK & Ireland and 1,100+ globally. For over 50 years Costa Coffee has been serving craft coffee using its Mocha Italia Signature Blend. Voted the UK's Favourite Coffee Shop 13 years in a row, Costa Coffee is also ranked Europe's No. 1^*2 cafe brand. In 2019, Costa Coffee was aquired by The Coca Cola Company, helping to further expand the brands presence globally across retail stores, Express machines and FMCG products.

Sojitz Royal Café plans to expand Costa Coffee store locations (directly managed stores and franchise stores) as part of Costa Coffee’s full-scale entry into Japan’s café market. Sojitz Royal Café will gradually expand locations primarily in the Kanto region and plans to grow the franchise across Japan with the aim of establishing Costa Coffee as one of Japan’s main coffee chains.

Sojitz and Royal HD formed a capital and business tie-up on February 15, 2021. Through this strategic partnership, the companies will leverage Royal HD’s supply chain management capabilities in the restaurant business and store operation know-how along with Sojitz’s project management and global networks to promote high-affinity businesses as well as to create and deliver new products, services, and value. In doing so, both companies aim to raise their corporate value further.

Sojitz Royal Café will introduce Costa Coffee’s authentic, high-quality coffee hand-brewed by baristas and expand store locations in Japan to meet the diversifying needs of café customers, enrich people’s lives, and realize sustainable growth.

*1 COSTA COFFEE is a registered trademark of COSTA Limited.
*2 Ranking based on number of store locations (Allegra World Coffee Portal Research and Analysis, 2021)

 [Related Information]

1. Company Overview – Sojitz Royal Café Corporation

Company Overview

2. Sojitz Corporation (as of December 31, 2022) 

3. Royal Holdings Co., Ltd. (as of December 31, 2021)

[Related News Release]
“Sojitz Acquires Stake in Royal Holdings Co., Ltd., Operator of Restaurant Chains such as Royal Host and Tendon Tenya, with Capital and Business Tie-up.” Sojitz Corp. Press release, 15 February 2021.

[For questions regarding this press release, contact:]
Sojitz Corporation Public Relations Department　+81－3－6871－3404
Royal Holdings Co., Ltd.　+81－3－5707－8852