Black Sheep Coffee has signed a 20-store franchise development agreement across the Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex in Texas, a move the company and its partners describe as one of the largest single franchise deals in the chain’s history and a key step in its U.S. expansion strategy.
According to Black Sheep Coffee via Access Newswire, the agreement covers at least 20 new stores led by franchise partner Yoloways, with confirmed markets including Bedford, Plano, Rowlett and Grapevine and further sites planned across the region. QSR Magazine likewise reported that the agreement will bring 20 additional locations to DFW over the next five years, while Daily Coffee News described the deal as proposing at least 20 stores in the same time frame.
The DFW expansion comes as the London-founded but Miami-headquartered chain builds on a relatively small U.S. base. Daily Coffee News noted that the company currently lists six U.S. locations as open, including four in the DFW area, one in Austin and one in Miami. Franchise Times earlier reported that Black Sheep had nearly 120 locations globally in January 2026; by February and August 2026, Daily Coffee News, QSR and Access Newswire variously put the figure at approximately or more than 130 locations worldwide.
In coverage of the deal, QSR stated that DFW “remains a priority growth market due to its strong population growth, dynamic retail development, and increasing consumer demand for differentiated specialty coffee concepts.” The same report said Black Sheep’s U.S. development is being led by YOLOWAY’s, an established U.K. franchise partner within the brand’s network, extending an existing relationship into the United States.
Dallas–Fort Worth is already a contested arena for coffee chains. Daily Coffee News reported that Dutch Bros has opened more than 220 locations in Texas since entering the state in 2021, Black Rock has opened 45 stores statewide as of late 2025, and 7 Brew has been expanding aggressively across the United States with at least 48 locations in Texas by the end of 2024. Against that backdrop, Black Sheep is positioning its growth through a multi-unit franchise model and a differentiated product mix.
Access Newswire described Black Sheep Coffee as operating the world’s first specialty-grade 100% robusta coffee company, while QSR reported that it was the first specialty coffee company in the United Kingdom to focus on 100% specialty-grade robusta beans. Daily Coffee News added that the company has said 85% of its coffee sales are specialty-grade robusta. Access Newswire further characterized the robusta used by the brand as having higher caffeine content than arabica, more protein and lower acidity.
The chain’s menu extends beyond coffee. Access Newswire highlighted ceremonial-grade matcha sourced directly from Japan, which it said accounts for 18% of total company sales, alongside Norwegian waffles. The same release noted that each store features original street art painted directly onto the walls by commissioned artists and uses reclaimed timber for furniture throughout the estate.
Black Sheep Coffee was founded in London in 2013 by co-founders and co-CEOs Gabriel Shohet and Eirik Holth, according to Daily Coffee News and Franchise Times. Franchise Times reported that the two quit corporate jobs with roughly £20,000 saved to start the company and have since moved to the United States to focus on U.S. expansion efforts, including franchise-led growth.
On the franchise side, Daily Coffee News cited Black Sheep’s U.S. website as stating that minimum requirements for U.S. franchisees include a commitment to at least 10 locations, cash or liquid assets of at least $1 million and multi-unit operations experience. Franchise Times reported that the cost to open a Black Sheep franchise ranges from $738,150 to $1.4 million, based on the brand’s franchise disclosure document, and that the chain offers compact drive-thru units and larger cafés of about 1,500 to 2,500 square feet. The same report said the disclosure document does not list financial performance details.
Commenting on the DFW agreement, Black Sheep Coffee’s head of franchising Lewis Blakey said in QSR that “Dallas–Fort Worth continues to be an important market as we build our presence in Texas” and that “this agreement allows us to expand thoughtfully while introducing more communities to the Black Sheep Coffee experience.”
