Click Café: royalty-free franchising from €19,000

Click Café Italia is expanding through franchised shops specialising in coffee, tea and premium artisan products, with no franchise entry fee or royalties. The package, described by L’Express Franchise Italia on 4 November 2026, requires an investment of €19,000–€23,000 plus VAT. Product supply is central to the financial relationship between franchisor and franchisee, making it a crucial consideration alongside the initial cost.

From online retail to Click Café Points

Click Café was founded in 2008, during the early years of Italy’s specialist online coffee shops, and is now owned by Salerno-based SGV Service. Its operations include a network of franchised Click Café Points, a reseller network, an online shop and a distribution service for small producers.

The franchise offering therefore forms part of a business model combining physical shops, e-commerce and distribution. For those in the franchise sector, the key feature is the financial structure: there are no turnover-based royalties, and the franchisor earns its revenue from supplying goods to the network.

This arrangement shifts the focus from recurring fees to trading terms. Prospective franchisees need to look beyond the absence of royalties: purchase prices, margins and stock replenishment arrangements are essential areas to investigate when assessing how the shop will operate.

What the initial investment includes

The quoted opening investment has three components. The first is a set-up cost of €10,000 plus VAT, covering shop design, furnishings, equipment, an illuminated sign, a cash register and in-person training. An initial stock order of €8,000 plus VAT is added to this amount.

The third component is work on the premises, paid for by the franchisee, with an estimated cost of €1,000–€5,000 plus VAT. This variable brings the stated total to between €19,000 and €23,000, excluding VAT.

The absence of an entry fee does not, therefore, mean there is no payment required to get started: the offering distinguishes between a franchise fee and a set-up package covering equipment and services. Anyone considering opening a shop should keep these items separate and check exactly what the quotation includes.

The quoted figure should also be understood for what it covers: set-up, initial stock and work on the premises. On its own, it is neither a forecast of shop profitability nor an indication of how long it will take to recoup the investment.

Premises, catchment area and head office support

The format requires premises of at least 60 square metres, with a planned split of 80% retail space and 20% storage. The preferred location is a busy area with short-stay parking, within a catchment area of at least 50,000 residents.

These requirements help narrow down the property search before fitting out the shop. Suitable floor space is only one of the stated criteria: accessibility and the size of the catchment area also form part of the required profile.

Head office supports franchisees with location selection and offers credit terms for stock purchases. The latter deserves closer examination during discussions: before incorporating it into a financial plan, applicants should clarify the credit limits, payment deadlines and applicable conditions.

Exclusivity and supply: checks before opening

Click Café’s offering includes territorial exclusivity for its own brands, which it describes as not being sold at heavily discounted prices online. E-commerce nevertheless remains part of the group’s business: its online shop offers free delivery on orders over €49.

Prospective franchisees should therefore clarify how their allocated territory is defined and how physical retail interacts with the online channel. Exclusivity for own-brand products needs to be assessed within its actual scope, rather than assumed to extend to every product or sales channel.

Supply terms remain the central financial consideration. A royalty-free model can only be properly assessed with a clear understanding of product margins, purchase prices and replenishment terms, alongside the contractual commitments.

Practical advice: before choosing premises, request an itemised quotation and a breakdown of the supply terms. These documents, rather than the absence of royalties alone, provide the basis for an informed assessment of the offering.