London-founded Black Sheep Coffee will launch its first store in Ireland in the iconic Pearl Assurance building in Belfast Donegall Square East, creating 14 full and part time jobs.
The 99-seater site, which opens at 6.30am on Tuesday February 4, represents a £1 million investment by Bannon and Bannon Property Holdings, which is behind some of the most successful hospitality venues in the city including Common Market and 3Sheets.
The chain was established in London in 2013 when co-founders Gabriel Shohet and Eirik Holth decided to quit their jobs on the same day “and rid the world of boring average-tasting coffee”.
Introducing a new experience for coffee lovers by serving the first speciality-grade Robusta beans on the market, the pair went against the market trends and became the ‘Black Sheep’ of the coffee world, hence the name.
And today, Black Sheep Coffee has more than 100 stores, including the UK, US and Dubai.
The chain is known for its high-quality Robusta blend coffee, Norwegian waffles, and innovative drinks like functional lattes and matcha blends. Alongside its coffee offerings, it serves organic teas, hot chocolate, and seasonal menu innovations.
And with a strong focus on convenience, customers can order ahead via the Black Sheep Coffee app and earn rewards as they spend.
The coffee shop group also achieved another world first with the launch of its Lion’s Mane Latte, which is made up of Lion’s Mane, ashwagandha, rhodiola rosea extract & B12.
Anthony Morrissey, media and marketing director at Bannon and Bannon, said: “We are delighted to be able to bring the unique Black Sheep Coffee experience to Belfast as part of a broader expansion strategy across Ireland over the coming year.
“We have watched the rapid development of Black Sheep Coffee throughout the UK in recent years and are proud to be leading its evolution in Ireland.
“This is just the start of a planned expansion programme, north and south, and already we are in advanced discussions with another prime location in Belfast which we will hopefully being in position to open summer 2025.”
He added: “As a group we are committed to the local hospitality and entertainment sector and are confident the addition of the Black Sheep Coffee brand will play a key role in our future regional expansion plans.”
Black Sheep Coffee founders Gabriel Shohet and Eirik Holth said: “Expanding into Ireland has been a long time coming, and we couldn’t be more excited to kick things off in Belfast.
“Bringing Black Sheep Coffee to this iconic location marks the start of an exciting new chapter, and we can’t wait for Ireland to experience what we’re all about.”
