NZX-listed Cooks Coffee – which operates the Esquires cafe network – saw its group store sales rise 17.6 per cent to $58.2 million in the fiscal year ended March 31.

Its UK store sales increased 21.1 per cent to $38.3 million while Ireland store sales jumped 11.3 per cent to $19.9 million. Like-for-like sales climbed 6 per cent in the UK and 6.8 per cent in Ireland.

During the year, the company added 15 new stores in the UK and Ireland and closed four, ending it with 77 total stores.

“We are delighted with the sales growth within our current coffee store locations and with the performance of the new stores,” Cooks Coffee chairman Keith Jackson said.

“We remain committed to delivering great in-store experiences and setting new benchmarks in the months ahead through our dedicated team of local franchise store owners. We look forward to updating the market further in due course.”

Cooks Coffee is set to open more than 10 outlets in the second quarter.