Cooks Coffee Company has appointed Louise Buet as Group Marketing Director, creating a new non-board role as the Esquires Coffee operator steps up brand development, customer engagement and franchisee growth across the UK, Ireland and future international markets.
Buet joins Cooks Coffee from Tim Hortons UK, where she spent the past two years working on the brand’s marketing strategy and growth. She brings more than 15 years of senior marketing and commercial experience across retail, hospitality and FMCG, with expertise spanning brand development, customer acquisition, loyalty and multi-site growth.
In her new role, Buet will lead Cooks Coffee’s group marketing strategy, with a particular focus on strengthening the Esquires Coffee brand, increasing customer demand and loyalty, and helping franchisees drive sustainable sales. The company said she will also develop scalable marketing capabilities and customer insight as Esquires expands into new locations and markets.
“I see a huge opportunity to build on that success and bring the Esquires experience to even more customers in the UK and beyond,” Buet said in announcing the appointment. She also highlighted Esquires’ sustainability credentials and its role in local communities as areas she wants to build on.
The appointment comes as Cooks Coffee reports strong momentum across its franchise network. In the three months to June 30, 2026, systemwide store sales across the UK and Ireland increased 14% year on year, with UK sales up 14.9% and Ireland up 11.8%. Over the preceding 12 months, systemwide sales rose 19.3%, while the franchise network added eight net new stores in the UK and six in Ireland.
Cooks Coffee’s latest trading updates indicate that the Esquires estate had reached 110 stores by the end of June, strengthening the company’s position as it targets further franchise-led growth. The group has set a longer-term ambition of more than 300 stores across the UK and Ireland by its 2034 financial year.
Franchising is central to Esquires’ expansion strategy. Cooks Coffee operates the brand in the UK and Ireland and has used franchise partnerships to build its network, while its wider Esquires platform has international operations through master-franchise arrangements. The group has also been pursuing an asset-light expansion model centred on local operators and franchise partners.
The business has been expanding beyond traditional high-street locations, with its strategy focused on suburban and regional locations as well as non-traditional formats. Its recent partnership with Tesco has also supported Esquires’ growth in Ireland, where several cafés have opened within Tesco locations.
Cooks Coffee is also looking beyond its core UK and Irish markets. Recent expansion plans have included international opportunities in markets such as India, the UAE and Pakistan, while the company is preparing to launch Esquires in two additional international markets.
Keith Jackson, Executive Chairman of Cooks Coffee Company, said Buet’s appointment was an investment in the next phase of Esquires’ growth and would help the company strengthen the brand while supporting its franchise partners.
The move adds marketing leadership to a business that is increasingly focused on scaling its franchise network while maintaining brand consistency across established and new markets.
