A rapid and general access to diversely substituted 5-alkoxyoxazoles 2 (i.e., R1, R2 = alkyl, phenyl) from easily accessible α-triflyloxy/hydroxy esters 1 and nitriles with good yields (41–76%) is reported. The versatility of the cyclization is shown for a range of substrates with high selectivity toward triflates over mesylates and proved to be compatible with sensitive functional groups. As an illustration