Starbucks plans to recruit 7,500 baristas across the UK over the next five years, pursuing expansion after a turnaround programme that included shutting dozens of British coffee shops last year.

The Seattle-based company announced the recruitment drive on Monday, building on plans set out in March to open 500 UK coffee shops by 2031. Hiring will be concentrated in the Midlands, northern England, Wales and Scotland as the business seeks growth north of the M25. Its existing UK workforce numbers more than 18,000.

The expansion follows an overhaul under chief executive Brian Niccol. Last month, he said the business was firmly in growth after two years of simplifying menus, investing in staffing and changing operations to improve service. The planned openings mark a change in emphasis from the closures, although both form part of the wider turnaround.

Starbucks is also presenting the recruitment drive as a route into longer-term employment for young people. More than half of staff in its company-operated UK stores are under 24.

Darren King, vice president and managing director of Starbucks UK, said its Back to Starbucks strategy aimed to help employees build skills and careers, with particular attention to making entry-level jobs accessible.

“You don’t need previous industry experience and we’ll give you the training and support you need from day one,” he said.

That ambition sits alongside a less career-focused perception of the sector. Research commissioned by Starbucks found that 68% of the 18–35-year-olds surveyed believed retail and hospitality jobs were perceived as temporary or “stopgap” work. The finding concerns perceptions, rather than measuring employees’ actual opportunities to progress.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, welcomed the investment, saying retail and hospitality offered young people workplace experience, confidence and genuine opportunities for advancement at a time when too many struggled to begin their careers.

The hiring plans also come against rising labour costs. At last month’s Budget, the Government confirmed that the national minimum wage would increase by 3.9% in April next year. Starbucks is committing to expansion despite that additional cost; the jobs and shop openings remain plans to be delivered over several years.