History of Gloria Jean’s franchise coffee shops in Australia exposed
Gloria Jean’s first came to Australia in 1996. Picture: Peter Wallis
Gloria Jean’s may have launched in the United States but it became a household name in Australia as the nation’s coffee culture shifted in the 90s.
But the coffee franchise faced its own controversies and successes over the years.
Gloria Jean’s was launched in Chicago in the United States in 1979 by Gloria Jean Kvetko and now has more than 600 stores in 40 countries.
Ms Kvetko and her husband Ed sold the franchise in 1993 for $40 million.
In 1995, Australian-Iranian businessman and Hillsong Church elder Nabi Saleh and his business partner Peter Irvine, also a high-profile church member, travelled to the US and acquired the master franchise for the coffee retailer.
Peter Irvine (left) and Nabi Saleh brought Gloria Jean’s to Australia.
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They opened their first store in the Sydney suburb of Miranda in 1996.
By 2004, the business partners bought all the international franchise rights for all countries outside of the United States. At that time, there were more than 200 Gloria Jean’s cafes across the nation.
In 2014, Saleh and Irvine sold Gloria Jean’s to the Retail Food Group following a controversy in 2012, where the cafe franchise was criticised for donating $30,000 in 2010 to the Australian Christian Lobby, which was publicly against gay marriage.
There were calls by the public to boycott the coffee chain at the time, leading to Gloria Jean’s making a public statement.
“It is important to reiterate that we are not religiously affiliated or affiliated to any other beliefs or preferences, including Hillsong,” the company said in a public statement.
“By the same token, nor do we discriminate against others based on their beliefs or preferences.
“We are proud of our culture of equality and embrace diversity across our entire business.”
The number of Gloria Jean’s stores has dropped to about 150 nationwide. Picture: Alex Treacy
Gloria Jean’s is now owned by the Retail Food Group.
Gloria Jean’s has a number of drive-through stores in Australia.
As of 2025, there are about 150 Gloria Jean’s cafes across Australia, with a majority located inside retail shopping or commercial complexes.
According to its website, it could cost up to $1 million to open a franchise coffee house.
“A new Gloria Jeans traditional store can range in price from $380,000 to $600,000 + GST. A new Gloria Jeans Drive Thru store can cost between $550,000 to $1,000,000 + GST,” the website states.
“This amounts do not include the applicable Initial Franchise Fee. These costing are estimate ranges only, as the costing for each site will be influenced by site characteristics & equipment required.”
In September 2025, Matt Marshall — chief executive of Retail Food Group, which is behind food court staples Donut King, Gloria Jean’s and Crust Pizza — resigned after a little over two years in the job. RFG said it currently had around 1250 outlets in 30 countries, with 37 new domestic stores opening in FY25, and planned to expand to 200 domestic stores for each brand.
Non-executive chairman Peter George was then appointed executive chairman, where he took on all CEO responsibilities, News Corp Australia reported at the time.
In its annual report released in August the company served up a $14.9m net loss for the 2025 financial year.
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