Costa Coffee, owned by the Coca-Cola Company, has announced plans to increase the salaries of over 16,000 workers in the UK.
The coffee chain will raise the base pay for employees across its 1,520 company-owned stores from £10 to £10.70 per hour from April 1st.
Experienced baristas will see their base pay rise to at least £11.23 per hour depending on location and role.
The pay increase of 6.1% to 7.3% (average of 6.7%) follows a similar move by Pret A Manger, which raised its base salaries by 2.9% last week.
The national living wage, which sets the minimum amount that companies can pay employees over 23 years old, will increase by 9.7% to £10.42 per hour on April 1st.
Staff who complete an introductory training program will be eligible for an additional 20p per hour on top of the new base rate, and experienced baristas will receive a 50p per hour boost.
Additionally, Costa offers other benefits, including a cash bonus tied to store performance, free drinks while on shift, and a staff menu discount of between 25% to 50%.
Nick Orrin, Costa’s interim UK and Ireland managing director, said the company is committed to prioritising its teams and communities amid uncertain times.
