A Scottish Starbucks franchisee is set to create 120 new jobs as part of a £4 million investment in new stores across Scotland and the north of England.
OCO, the operator behind 23 Starbucks locations across the regions, has reported twelve consecutive years of sales growth and currently employs around 480 people. The business now plans to expand its estate to 29 stores by the end of 2027, with the majority of new sites expected to be drive-thru formats.
The expansion will bring a range of new roles, including baristas, supervisors and store managers, alongside additional head office positions as the company scales its support functions.
Founded by JJ O’Hara in 2013 with its first site in Dumfries, OCO has positioned itself as a people-focused operator, recently being named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work. The company attributes this recognition to its commitment to paying the Real Living Wage, promoting from within and investing heavily in training and development.
OCO refers to its workforce as ‘partners’, with a strong emphasis on long-term career progression within hospitality. Last year, 83% of promotions were filled internally, with 71 employees stepping into new roles.
Training remains a cornerstone of the business, with more than half of its workforce holding the Coffee Master qualification – Starbucks’ advanced barista programme, often described as the ‘black belt’ of coffee making. Across OCO’s estate, 54% of partners have achieved this accreditation, underlining the company’s focus on skill development and career-building opportunities.
As the business continues to grow, OCO aims to challenge perceptions of hospitality as a short-term job, instead offering structured pathways for progression in one of the UK’s busiest service sectors.
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O’Hara said: “For me, integrity works both ways. Paying a fair wage, investing in proper training for our teams and giving people the right conditions to thrive – that’s what builds a great culture.
“When you get that right, our partners take more pride in their work, they deliver a higher standard for customers and ultimately enjoy what they do. It’s a win-win.”
OCO has also made the deliberate decision to pay all baristas, regardless of age, the Real Living Wage of £13.45 – a move introduced voluntarily and still relatively rare across the wider hospitality sector.
