Coffee Time got its start in Bolton, Ontario in the early 1980s, and its franchise system offers more than one entry point — single-café ownership, multi-unit ownership, and territory-based master-franchise rights. That range matters for a resale: buying one long-standing café is a very different transaction from acquiring a master franchisee's rights across a defined territory, and the two shouldn't be assumed to follow the same process.
Coffee Time resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
Price and terms, with conditions built in for franchisor consent, an assignable lease, and confirmed standing with the local health unit.
usually 1–2 weeks†Coffee Time's franchise team reviews the incoming buyer and can exercise its right of first refusal instead of letting the sale proceed as negotiated — the review looks different for a single café than for a territory or master-franchise transfer.
several weeks, typically†A franchise disclosure document may still be required for this resale — Ontario courts read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, so franchisor involvement in the sale can trigger it even where it's called a private deal.
assessed early†Getting to closing
Most cafés sit on a street-front, plaza, or travel-corridor commercial lease, needing the landlord's written consent to assign, timed alongside the franchisor's own review.
2–6 weeks†The incoming owner typically completes Coffee Time's training on café equipment and standards before the transfer is finalized.
before or shortly after closing†Funds, keys, and signed documents change hands, alongside an inventory count and confirmation that landlord and franchisor consent are both in hand.
1 day, once conditions are met†Official coffeetime.com/opportunities/ page actively recruits franchise partners; National Franchise Directory confirms a large Canadian network with single-store, multi-unit and master-franchise options
Started in Bolton, Ontario in 1982; described as an Ontario-anchored network per Franchise Ontario
This is the first real decision in a Coffee Time resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The café's equipment, leasehold improvements, inventory, and the benefit of the existing Coffee Time franchise agreement, subject to franchisor consent. | The shares of the operating company — every café it holds, and everything it owes. |
| Seller's liabilities | Generally stay behind with the seller's existing corporation. | Generally come with the company, including obligations tied to any other cafés it operates. |
| Franchisor consent & ROFR | Required for this specific café, and typically the pacing condition on the whole deal. | Required for the change of control itself — the franchisor reviews who is actually taking over. |
| The lease | Needs the landlord's written consent to assign, timed alongside the franchisor's own review. | Usually stays in place unless the lease itself carries a change-of-control clause. |
| Tax angle | Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares. |
| Territory / master-franchise rights | Not a typical single-café asset — a master-franchise or territory transfer is a separate agreement with its own, deeper franchisor review. | Where a master franchisee holds an operating company for the territory, a share sale can carry those rights along with everything else the company owes. |
The café's equipment, leasehold improvements, inventory, and the benefit of the existing Coffee Time franchise agreement, subject to franchisor consent.
The shares of the operating company — every café it holds, and everything it owes.
Generally stay behind with the seller's existing corporation.
Generally come with the company, including obligations tied to any other cafés it operates.
Required for this specific café, and typically the pacing condition on the whole deal.
Required for the change of control itself — the franchisor reviews who is actually taking over.
Needs the landlord's written consent to assign, timed alongside the franchisor's own review.
Usually stays in place unless the lease itself carries a change-of-control clause.
Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares.
Not a typical single-café asset — a master-franchise or territory transfer is a separate agreement with its own, deeper franchisor review.
Where a master franchisee holds an operating company for the territory, a share sale can carry those rights along with everything else the company owes.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single long-standing Coffee Time café changing hands between a retiring owner-operator and an incoming buyer, with a standard lease.
Start my file →A territory or master-franchise rights transfer, or a multi-unit operator selling several cafés as one company.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
They're genuinely different transactions. A single café is a fairly standard asset resale; master-franchise or territory rights come with their own agreement, development obligations, and a deeper franchisor review of the buyer's ability to operate at that scale. We confirm which one you're actually being offered before you sign anything.
It can mean cleaner books and a more settled lease history, but the core diligence — franchisor consent, lease assignment, disclosure — is the same regardless of how long the seller has owned the café.
Not necessarily. Ontario courts have read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, and franchisor involvement in matching buyer to seller can still trigger a full disclosure requirement. We confirm whether it applies to your specific deal early.
Often, yes. Acquiring an operating company that holds more than one café is more commonly done as a share purchase, so each location's franchise agreement and lease stay intact at the same time.
It can affect the scope of the review, not the basic mechanics — a master-franchise or multi-unit resale typically means a broader review of the buyer's operating capacity than a single-store transfer, but either way the approval timeline and its effect on your deposit and closing date get built into the purchase agreement rather than assumed.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Coffee Time or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Coffee Time resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.