The Israeli coffee chain currently has 15 stores in Poland and is seeking to ‘unlock new opportunities for growth’ by directly managing operations in the Central European country
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A Cofix store in Poznań, Poland | Photo credit: Cofix
Israel’s Cofix has taken direct control of its operations in Poland – a key market in its international expansion – after its master franchisee Cofix Polska sp. z o.o. declared bankruptcy.
Cofix entered Poland in June 2020 with a store in Warsaw and now operates 15 outlets across the Polish capital city and Poznań in the west of the country.
In a press release, Cofix said it will convert stores previously owned by the master franchisee into corporate-owned locations – a move which will enable the business ‘to exercise full control over expansion’ in the market.
“The Polish operation has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of customer needs, conducting business with exceptional care and cultivating a loyal customer base. By assuming direct control of our operations in Poland, one of our key markets, we unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation,” said Shaun Michael Lewis, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Global Development, Cofix Global.
The announcement comes as Cofix Polska CEO Błażej Bernard Reiss was reportedly placed on a Polish government sanctions list for his alleged links to businesses involved in bypassing sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine.
A spokesperson for Cofix told World Coffee Portal that, upon terminating its agreement with Cofix Polska, the business took ‘decisive action’ to close several underperforming stores – including sites in Lublin, Katowice, Białystok and Kraków.
Cofix’s remaining stores in Poland will ‘serve as the foundation for our renewed growth’ in the country, the spokesperson added. Cofix’s planned outlet growth in Poland will primarily come from franchising. However, it will continue to open company-operated locations in central areas of Poland’s largest cities.
Of Cofix’s 400 stores globally, 90% are currently run by franchise partners. Alongside 70 stores in its native Israel, Cofix also operates 275 outlets in Russia, 50 in Belarus and single sites in Spain and Armenia.
In June 2024, Cofix announced plans to re-enter Kazakhstan within the next 12 months and outlined an ambitious target to open 200 stores in the market within the next five years.