A sprawling Chinese coffee chain is setting its sights on Bergen County, with signage now posted inside Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus pointing to a new cafe opening this fall. No exact date has been locked in yet, but the mall display makes clear that Cotti Coffee is on its way to the Paramus shopping hub.
Signage Points to a Fall Arrival, But No Firm Date Yet
According to Boozy Burbs, Cotti Coffee is preparing to open at Westfield Garden State Plaza, with mall signage announcing a fall opening. The outlet reports that an exact opening date has not yet been announced, leaving Bergen County coffee drinkers watching the mall for further updates. The location is slated for One Garden State Plaza in Paramus, per the same report.
Cotti describes itself as an international coffee brand with a sprawling global footprint, though the exact numbers shift depending on the source and the date of the count. Boozy Burbs cites the company operating in 28 countries and more than 300 cities, while trade outlet GCR reports Cotti claims more than 18,000 stores across 33 countries. A separate account from Comunicaffe put the total at more than 18,000 locations across 28 markets as of January 20, 2026, including 16,485 stores in China alone, while China Daily has separately reported the chain operating more than 13,000 outlets across 28 countries and regions.
What's on the Menu
Whatever the final count, the chain has built a reputation for speed. Cotti specializes in beverages made with 100% Arabica beans sourced from coffee-growing regions including Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia and Guatemala, the Boozy Burbs report notes. Its lineup includes the Platinum Specialty and Gold Roast blends alongside a selection of hot and iced coffee drinks.
Cotti Coffee was established in October 2022, according to China Daily. The brand was founded by former Luckin Coffee executives Lu Zhengyao and Qian Zhiya, GCR reports. In just a few years, the chain built more than 16,000 stores, making it the second-largest branded coffee chain in China behind Luckin, according to industry outlet Dao Insights.
A Rapid, Sometimes Turbulent Expansion
That breakneck growth hasn't been without turbulence. Dao Insights reported that Cotti recorded 762 store openings alongside more than 700 closures between March and May, and the company canceled its guaranteed store-buyback policy for franchisees in late June, leaving operators able only to close or transfer their locations rather than sell back to the parent company.
Cotti's U.S. presence has been building quietly. The chain opened its first American store in Honolulu in spring 2024, according to Daily Coffee News, and has since expanded into New York, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Tennessee and California. A Cotti Partners LLC franchise disclosure document accounted for at least 28 U.S. locations as of March 31, 2026, per the same report, which also noted the company reached roughly 15,000 stores globally by August 2025 after publicly targeting 50,000 stores by the end of that year.
International Footprint Keeps Growing
Beyond the U.S., Cotti has pushed into Europe and the Pacific. The chain began international expansion in 2023 starting with South Korea, according to Comunicaffe, and later expanded into France, Germany and Spain during 2025, GCR reports, with further plans for Belgium, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands. Cotti launched in the United Kingdom with two flagship London locations, opening its Middlesex Street cafe on February 4 and a Camden High Street store shortly after, GCR reported, and the chain is now preparing regional UK expansion, according to World Coffee Portal.
In Hawaii, Cotti's Ward Village location in Oahu celebrated its grand opening on March 27, 2026, according to KITV. That cafe offers artisan coffee and specialty drinks including a layered Cloud Mousse Latte, according to Ward Village's own listing for the shop. Whether the Paramus location will carry similar specialty items remains to be seen, but it adds another stop to Cotti's rapidly expanding map as Bergen County awaits a firmer opening date this fall.
