Dirt Coffee Co Franchise: Join the Speciality Coffee Brand Disrupting the High Street

Dirt Coffee Co barista crafting a specialty latte - the brand's commitment to quality in every cup

Dirt Coffee Co is not just another coffee franchise. Founded by David Hodgetts through DMH Brands, Dirt was built on the hard lessons of a previous coffee venture that was sold to a private equity buyer. The result is a concept that deliberately breaks the mould: specialty-grade coffee, handcrafted cocktails and fresh all-day dining under one roof, wrapped in clean, modern design that feels as good in the evening as it does at breakfast.

The brand is young, ambitious and growing fast. With London sites already open and a target of 100 territories across the UK, Dirt Coffee Co is offering franchise partners the chance to enter at the ground level of what it intends to make the country's most sought-after coffee brand.

Why Dirt Coffee Co Is Different

Most coffee franchises sell coffee and maybe a pastry. Dirt Coffee Co has built something more versatile. The concept operates across three revenue streams - morning coffee, all-day brunch and evening cocktails - which means longer trading hours and more reasons for customers to walk through the door.

Dirt stores are built around a clean, functional aesthetic that feels premium without being pretentious. Combined with proprietary coffee blends sourced through a carbon-neutral supply chain, the brand appeals to consumers who value quality, transparency and sustainability.

Investment and Financial Overview

Dirt Coffee Co deliberately targets a lower investment model. Founder David Hodgetts has been clear: high street rents and inflated fit-out costs have crippled many coffee operators. Dirt selects locations with lower overheads so franchisees are not suppressed from day one.

Training and Support

Because the Dirt concept spans coffee, food and cocktails, the training programme is broader than a typical coffee franchise. The brand provides comprehensive onboarding that covers every facet of the operation:

• ✓ Full barista training on proprietary blends and brewing techniques
• ✓ Cocktail crafting and evening service skills
• ✓ Customer service and business management fundamentals
• ✓ Location sourcing, store design and full fit-out support
• ✓ State-of-the-art POS systems and management software
• ✓ National marketing campaigns and professional marketing materials
• ✓ Local marketing strategy and community-building guidance
• ✓ Ongoing operational support from a dedicated team

Growth Plan and Expansion

Dirt Coffee Co is in an aggressive expansion phase with a clear roadmap:

The Middle East partnership signals international ambitions and confirms the concept translates across cultures.

Who This Franchise Is For

Dirt Coffee Co is looking for franchise partners who share its obsession with quality and design. The part-time option also makes it accessible to people who want to test the waters before committing full-time. Prior hospitality experience is helpful but not essential - what matters most is a passion for quality and the commercial ambition to grow.

Key Benefits at a Glance

• ✓ Low entry investment from £21,000 with third-party financing available
• ✓ Three revenue streams: coffee, brunch and cocktails
• ✓ Experienced founder with a proven track record in scaling coffee brands
• ✓ Carbon-neutral, transparent supply chain with proprietary blends
• ✓ Comprehensive training across barista, cocktails and business management
• ✓ Ground-floor opportunity in a brand targeting 200 UK sites
• ✓ International expansion already underway with Middle East partnership

Three Formats, One Brand

One of the strengths of the Dirt model is that it is not a single fit-out. The brand has been engineered around three distinct operational formats, so partners can match the concept to the site they can secure rather than chasing a single template across very different high streets.

UK Coffee Market Context

Dirt Coffee Co is launching into a market that has continued to grow despite cost pressures on operators. The UK branded coffee shop sector reached 12,313 outlets and £6.8 billion in sales over the last twelve months, the fifth consecutive year of outlet growth since the pandemic, according to World Coffee Portal's Project Cafe UK 2026.

The same research identifies a clear polarisation: value-led national chains at one end, premium experience-led brands at the other, with the middle ground losing share. Dirt's design-forward, speciality-grade positioning targets that premium segment, while its lower-overhead site strategy keeps unit economics closer to the value end. The all-day-into-evening trading window is a direct response to weaker daytime footfall on many UK high streets.

The Founder and DMH Brands

David Hodgetts co-founded Triple Two Coffee in 2016 and grew it into a UK franchise chain before the business was acquired by New Zealand-listed Cooks Coffee Company in 2022. After that exit Hodgetts set up DMH Brands as a multi-brand hospitality group, with Dirt Coffee Co as its lead franchise vehicle. DMH Brands also owns Just Tea and Sip Coco, which supply the Dirt estate and give franchisees a wider drinks range than a single-product cafe.

The group recently closed an eight-figure private investment round at a reported £100 million valuation, with investors drawn from entrepreneurs, sports and music. That capital is funding the UK rollout, brand build and central support infrastructure that franchisees plug into.

A Day in a Dirt Site

A typical Cafe Bar site opens at around 7am with espresso and grab-and-go, transitions into a full brunch and lunch menu through the middle of the day, and shifts into cocktails, small plates and an evening crowd from late afternoon. That rhythm spreads labour cost across three distinct dayparts rather than concentrating it in a narrow breakfast window, which is one of the operational issues Hodgetts has cited as a weakness of traditional coffee chains. Grab & Go sites run a tighter daytime-only model with a leaner team.

Marketing and Brand Positioning

The brand handles national PR, social media and creative centrally, with template-driven assets pushed out to franchisees for local campaigns. Store design, photography and the Dirt visual identity are intentionally consistent across sites, with the aim of building a recognisable challenger brand rather than a faceless coffee chain. Local marketing is supported with playbooks for opening campaigns, community partnerships and evening-trade promotion.

Interested in exploring more opportunities in this sector? Take a look at other Coffee franchise opportunities available on Franchise Hunt.