Coffee shop and café companies in the Oxford area
267 coffee shop and café companies have a registered office in the Oxford area (OX postcodes), and 90 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £16,805 in cash and owed £29,221 at year end.
The numbers
| Measure | Oxford | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Registered companies | 267 | 44,437 |
| Formed in 2025 or 2026 | 90 (34%) | 36% |
| Being struck off or in liquidation | 28 (10%) | 16% |
| Typical cash at year end | £16,80534 accounts | £8,573 |
| Typical amount owed at year end | £29,221119 accounts | £27,813 |
| Typical number of employees | 5124 accounts | 4 |
What this means if you’re starting one
Most of your competition will be other newcomers
34% of the 267 coffee shop and café companies in the Oxford area (OX postcodes) were formed in 2025–26, against 18% of all companies in the Oxford area (OX postcodes). Nationally, that share of new companies is higher than 95% of UK industries.
New rivals are arriving faster than in most trades, so your customers already have fresh options. Being new is not a difference on its own.
More of these companies are closing than in most trades
9.4% of coffee shop and café companies in the Oxford area (OX postcodes) are currently being struck off, against 5.2% of all companies there. Nationally that rate is higher than 94% of UK industries.
Closures run high here. It is a churn signal, not a survival rate, but it means the common failure points are worth learning before you start.
Cash is tight in this trade
At year end the typical coffee shop and café company in the Oxford area (OX postcodes) holds £16,805 in cash and owes £29,221; that cash figure is lower than 89% of UK industries.
Typical operators end the year holding less cash than they owe, so there is little slack if takings dip or a big bill lands early.
Planning a business like this in Oxford?
Answer two questions about your customer and what makes you different, and get a free three-week plan to test the idea before you spend real money. No account or card.
Check my ideaWhat these figures can’t tell you
Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.
Coffee shop and café in other places
- Brighton596 companies
- Portsmouth441 companies
- Kingston upon Thames421 companies
- Slough371 companies
- Dartford366 companies
- Tonbridge318 companies
- Guildford313 companies
- Milton Keynes306 companies
Other businesses in Oxford
- Business consultancy2,595 companies
- Buy-to-let landlord2,125 companies
- IT support or consultancy1,139 companies
- Dog grooming and other personal services939 companies
- Web design and software937 companies
- Online shop889 companies
- Physiotherapy or therapy clinic711 companies
- Builder691 companies