Drinkit plans to reach 500 coffee shops by the end of 2027

Drinkit, a coffee shop chain expanding primarily through franchisees, plans to reach 500 outlets by the end of 2027. According to a report published by Monocle on 9 November 2026, 470 commercial concession agreements — the legal form used for franchising in Russia — have already been signed for the Russian market, committing partners to opening coffee shops. For the franchising sector, this is a story not just about the pace of expansion, but also about the relationship between the franchise network, digital processes and the finances of the management company.

Network growth and franchisee commitments

Drinkit launched its franchise in 2021. According to Monocle, the network grew from 20 to 283 coffee shops over three years. At the time of publication, 272 coffee shops were operating across 22 Russian regions. The brand also has outlets in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the UAE and the US.

Its next stated milestone is 300 coffee shops by the end of 2026, followed by 500 in 2027. These figures are expansion targets: they should not be read as the number of outlets already trading or as guaranteed future openings.

Expansion is driven by the franchise model: most coffee shops have been opened by franchisees rather than by the company itself. The 470 commercial concession agreements signed for Russia are a separate measure. According to the report, these agreements require partners to open coffee shops, but a signed contract does not mean that an outlet is already serving customers.

Drinkit's scale should therefore be assessed using several measures together: operating outlets, geographical reach and franchisees' contractual commitments. Conflating these figures can give a misleading impression of the network's current size. Prospective franchisees in particular need to understand which openings have already taken place and which remain part of future expansion plans.

Digitalisation at the heart of the model

Monocle links Drinkit's growth to the digitalisation of purchasing and business processes, alongside careful site selection. The brand's proposition for franchisees therefore extends beyond its name and product range: the model centres on how coffee shops operate and interact with customers.

This is an important consideration for entrepreneurs comparing coffee franchises. When assessing an offer, it is worth looking beyond brand recognition to everyday operations: which tasks the digital system supports, what remains the outlet owner's responsibility and how communication with the management company is organised. These are due diligence questions, not additional features of Drinkit's offering confirmed by the report.

Site selection cannot be separated from financial projections either. The report identifies attention to coffee shop locations as one of the factors behind the brand's growth. The practical lesson for prospective franchisees is to discuss the economics of specific premises rather than assume that network-wide benchmarks apply to any available site.

Against this backdrop of expansion, the revenue cited in the report rose from RUB 290 million in 2023 to RUB 7.9 billion in the still-unfinished 2026 financial year. The latter figure is not a full-year result. Revenue growth alone also says nothing about the payback period for an individual coffee shop or the management company.

Investment and two distinct payback milestones

According to Monocle, a prospective Drinkit franchisee needs an average investment of RUB 15 million. The chain states that a coffee shop pays back its investment within three years and achieves profitability of 20%. These figures should be treated as the brand's benchmarks, not a promise that every franchisee will achieve the same result.

An average investment figure is no substitute for a detailed budget for a specific opening. Before committing funds, entrepreneurs should clarify what the budget includes, how profitability is calculated and which assumptions underpin the financial model. In particular, they should establish the sales volumes and ongoing costs used to calculate the stated payback period.

The company also sets out a separate payback milestone for its management business. The management company expects to reach this at a network size of 500 coffee shops, by the end of 2027 or the beginning of 2028. This target should not be confused with the three-year payback period for an individual outlet: they concern different participants in the model and different financial outcomes.

What prospective franchisees should check

Drinkit's story illustrates why outlet numbers alone are not enough when assessing a fast-growing chain. Here, operating coffee shops, signed agreements, planned openings and financial benchmarks sit alongside one another. Each measure answers a different question and requires separate assessment.

Prospective franchisees should request financial projections for their chosen location, clarify their obligations under the commercial concession agreement and discuss how digital processes will work in their coffee shop. The stated investment and payback period should be weighed against their own budget and risk tolerance.

The practical takeaway: Drinkit's plan to reach 500 coffee shops is a reason to explore its franchise offering, but any decision to open an outlet should rest on that site's economics and the terms of the partnership.