Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffees

Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffees is a specialty coffeehouse chain that serves flavored coffees, espresso drinks, and baked goods through a largely franchised network of cafés, kiosks, and drive-thru locations. The brand trades in everyday coffee occasions, typically in enclosed shopping centres, neighborhood and community retail, transport hubs, universities, and other high-traffic sites where customers look for convenient beverage and light food options throughout the day.

The story began in 1979, when founder Gloria Jean Kvetko opened a small coffee and gift shop in the Chicago area and built a loyal following around gourmet flavored coffees. Through the 1980s and 1990s the business grew into a U.S. retail coffee chain and then into a franchise system. In 1995, an Australian group acquired the rights to franchise Gloria Jean’s in Australia. That business rolled out stores across the country and eventually separated from the original U.S. operation, becoming the main global franchisor for much of the international network.

A key turning point came in 2014, when Retail Food Group Limited, an Australian Stock Exchange listed multi-brand food and beverage franchisor, acquired the international master franchise business for Gloria Jean’s and its associated coffee roasting operations. Since then, Gloria Jean’s has been managed as one of RFG’s core coffee brands alongside other well-known chains in its portfolio. Under RFG, the focus shifted from rapid expansion to a more disciplined network, emphasizing sustainable franchise operations, stronger unit performance, and formats that fit modern retail environments.

As of December 2024, Gloria Jean’s operates about 200 stores worldwide, with a heavy concentration in Australia and an active presence in selected international markets in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and parts of Europe such as Ireland. While the global footprint is smaller than at its peak in the United States, the brand remains a recognizable coffeehouse chain within RFG’s system, with stable underlying demand for coffee, cold beverages, and grab-and-go food.

Over roughly the past five years, the expansion strategy has evolved. Instead of large-scale rollouts, Gloria Jean’s has pursued selective franchised café growth, concentrating on proven trade areas and working with experienced multi-unit franchisees. New locations tend to appear in established shopping centres, busy transport hubs, and main street retail, often in compact kiosk footprints, traditional inline cafés, or drive-thru sites where parking, visibility, and access support high daily beverage volumes. The brand continues to court new franchise partners in priority markets such as Australia, the Middle East, and the broader Asia-Pacific region, typically through master franchise or multi-store agreements that allow for measured but ongoing development.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Gloria Jean’s represents a coffee tenant with a long operating history, a public-company parent, and a format mix that can adapt to different asset types, from enclosed malls to convenience-focused strip and roadside sites. The concept’s emphasis on franchised operations, kiosks, and drive-thru locations allows it to fit into small spaces and nontraditional venues while still delivering a familiar branded coffee offer that drives repeat daily traffic.