What is the name of the coffee chain acquired by Coca-Cola in 2018?

The coffee chain acquired by Coca-Cola in 2018 was Costa Coffee. Coca-Cola announced the agreement to purchase Costa from Whitbread on August 31, 2018, for £3.9 billion; the transaction formally completed in January 2019.

Costa Coffee was founded in London in 1971 by Italian brothers Bruno and Sergio Costa. The brothers began by roasting coffee for restaurants and Italian shops before opening Costa’s first coffee shop in Vauxhall Bridge Road in 1978. Whitbread acquired the growing chain in 1995.

The acquisition expanded Coca-Cola’s presence beyond cold soft drinks and into cafés, coffee machines, packaged coffee, and ready-to-drink products. Costa’s coffee expertise and international retail network complemented Coca-Cola’s global distribution system.

A common mix-up is the timing: 2018 was the year Coca-Cola agreed to acquire Costa, while the purchase officially closed on January 3, 2019. Costa is also unrelated to U.S. chains such as Peet’s Coffee, Starbucks, and Tim Hortons.