Coffee Republic is a chain of coffee bars, open all over the world. Its UK sites offer free Wi-Fi, supplied by CommsPort. The company was founded in 1991 and has 61 outlets at the moment. It plans to open 80 locations by 2002. In March 2001, it announced the resignation of CEO Bobby Hashemi, who continued as a non-executive director. In the summer of 2002, he returned as executive chairman. In December 2001, the company acquired the GoodBean coffee bar chain, adding 12 outlets in the south-east of England. The company also has seven sites under construction. By the end of 2002, the company had 108 coffee bars and cafes across the UK.
In November 2005, the company signed a franchise agreement with Caffe Nero, but ended the year with four franchised outlets. Initially, the company planned to retain ten to fifteen bars under its umbrella. In October 2006, Bobby Hashemi was replaced by Peter Breach as chairman. In 2007, the company signed franchise agreements in Ireland and Northern Ireland. In addition, the company opened its first Bulgarian bar in Burgas. In July 2006, it opened its first shop in Istanbul.