What Black Rock Coffee Bar does

Black Rock Coffee Bar, Inc. is a publicly traded (Nasdaq: BRCB) specialty coffee retailer that operates a fully company-owned, drive-thru-centric coffee bar chain across seven Western US states. Founded in 2008 in Beaverton, Oregon by Daniel Brand and Jeff Hernandez and now headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company ran over 190 retail locations as of Q1 2026 and is targeting approximately 1,000 stores by 2035. The format emphasizes speed and convenience (drive-thru and order-ahead), a barista-crafted premium beverage program (espresso classics, signature 'Favorites,' Fuel® energy drinks with 180mg caffeine, Whipped Lemonades, a Protein Favorites platform with three customization modes, and rotating seasonal LTOs), an all-day breakfast food menu, and an in-store/online retail coffee SKU line (Steel Bridge dark roast, Old Town medium roast, Single Origin Ethiopia, Decaf, K-Cups, cold brew bags) sold via the br.coffee Shopify storefront.

The underlying technology stack is operational rather than proprietary-software-driven: a Paytronix-powered mobile app (iOS/Android) and loyalty program ('Black Rock Rewards,' 2 Bolts per $1), a third-party online ordering platform (orderexperience.net), Shopify e-commerce with subscription commerce, and a Russo Modular construction partnership (with in-house Russo Siteworx) for accelerated unit builds. Distribution is single-channel-direct-to-consumer with no franchise offering; B2B/wholesale is limited to a catering service. Monetization combines in-store and drive-thru transaction revenue (primary), subscription coffee sales, gift cards, and loyalty-driven repeat purchase; FY2025 revenue was $200.3M with FY2026 guidance of $255-$257M.

Recent strategic positioning has centered on aggressive unit expansion funded by the September 2025 IPO (~$306.5M raised at $20/share, ~$1.27B debut valuation), the protein menu rollout, and a leadership addition (CDO Jon Vingo, May 2026). However, Q1 2026 disclosed same-store sales deceleration to 5.2% (from 9.2% prior-year period) attributed to cannibalization/'sales transfer' in core markets, prompting a 30.3% one-day stock decline and triggering securities class action lawsuits, a KPMG-to-Deloitte auditor change (March 2026) following material weaknesses in internal controls, and a founders' margin-loan unwind with Cynosure Group (May 2026).

Name

Black Rock Coffee Bar

Legal name

Black Rock Coffee Bar, Inc.

Website

https://br.coffee

Company type

Public

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Black Rock Coffee Bar (Nasdaq: BRCB) is a publicly traded, company-owned drive-thru specialty coffee chain operating 190+ locations across 7 Western US states, serving convenience-oriented coffee, energy drink, and protein beverage consumers through a barista-crafted menu and a Paytronix-powered loyalty platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Retail

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Drive-Thru Coffee Stands & Coffee Kiosks (THAFADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB), Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Drive-thru coffee chain
• Coffee subscription service
• Energy drinks
• Coffee e-commerce

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. In-store and drive-thru beverage and food sales: Primary revenue stream generated through retail transactions at company-owned coffee bars across 7 states, including coffee drinks, Fuel energy drinks, breakfast food, and pastries.
2. E-commerce coffee and drinkware sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of whole bean coffee, K-Cup pods, cold brew bags, and branded drinkware including 20oz and 34oz bottles via br.coffee storefront.
3. Coffee subscription service: Recurring subscription options for whole bean and ground coffee products (Steel Bridge, Old Town, Single Origin Ethiopia, Decaf) with daily/weekly delivery cadence and subscription discount.
4. Gift card sales: E-Gift cards and physical gift cards sold via website and in-store, redeemable for products. May be subject to expiration.
5. Loyalty program (Black Rock Rewards): Free-to-join loyalty program where members earn 2 bolts per $1 spent and redeem for free drinks; drives repeat purchase behavior.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Black Rock Coffee Bar operates a company-owned boutique drive-thru and in-store coffee chain (no franchises) serving premium espresso, signature specialty drinks, the Fuel energy drink line, protein-customized beverages, whipped lemonades, and all-day breakfast food across more than 190 locations in seven U.S. states. Revenue is generated primarily through in-store and drive-thru beverage and food transactions, with complementary direct-to-consumer online sales of branded whole-bean coffee, K-Cups, cold brew bags, drinkware, and coffee subscriptions via br.coffee.

Product overview

Black Rock Coffee Bar operates as a single unified boutique drive-thru coffee brand rather than a multi-product platform, but its portfolio spans several distinct product lines: a core in-store beverage program (Coffee & Espresso including Americano, Breve, Drip Coffee, Latte, Mocha, Shaken Espresso, White Mocha; signature 'Favorites' like Blackout, Caramel Blondie, Irish Coffee, I.V., Jackhammer, Mexican Mocha, plus Nitro Cold Brew and Cold Brew; Whipped Drinks such as Blue Lagoon, Juice Box and Star Burst Whipped Lemonades; the Fuel Energy line of iced, frozen and canned energy drinks; Chai & Matcha, Tea, Coffeeless and Lil Rockers categories; rotating Seasonal LTOs including the OLIPOP Coco Lime Dirty Pop collaboration; the Protein Favorites line built around Protein-Boosted Milk, Protein Boost scoops and Protein Cold Foam; and the Breakfast Anytime food menu including the High-Protein Egg Bites and breakfast sandwiches/pastries). Complementing the cafe menu are two digital/retail products: the Black Rock Rewards loyalty program (relaunched on Paytronix, with 2 Bolts per $1 and free any-size drinks at 200 Bolts) and the Black Rock Coffee Bar mobile app (iOS/Android) for order-ahead. The company also operates a Black Rock at Home retail e-commerce shop (powered by Shopify) selling its own coffee SKUs - Steel Bridge Custom Blend Dark Roast, Old Town Custom Blend Medium Roast, Old Town Decaf, Single Origin - Ethiopia Light Roast, Cold Brew Bags, and K-Cup Pods - plus Black Rock-branded drinkware (Bolt and BR Badge 20oz flip-lid and 34oz wide-mouth bottles and a Straw Lid accessory). Across all of these, the company drives consumer-facing ordering through the Paytronix-powered app and orderexperience.net store-locator flow, while the in-store, drive-thru, and pick-up experiences are unified under the Black Rock Coffee Bar brand operating over 190 retail locations across 7 U.S. states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Black Rock Rewards: Company's loyalty program where members earn 2 Bolts per $1 spent and redeem for free drinks and rewards.
• Fuel®
• Steel Bridge
• Old Town

Products and services

• Black Rock Coffee Bar drive-thru and in-store coffee bar retail Company-owned drive-thru and in-store coffee bar retail experience serving premium espresso, signature drinks, Fuel energy drinks, protein-customized beverages, Whipped Lemonades, and all-day breakfast food; no franchise model.
• Black Rock at Home e-commerce shop Direct-to-consumer online storefront (br.coffee, powered by Shopify) selling whole-bean coffee, K-Cup pods, cold brew bags, branded drinkware, and subscriptions with free shipping over $35.
• Coffee subscription service Recurring subscription options for Black Rock's whole-bean and ground coffee (Steel Bridge, Old Town, Single Origin Ethiopia, Old Town Decaf) with daily/weekly delivery cadence and a subscription discount.
• Steel Bridge Custom Blend Dark Roast coffee Black Rock's custom blend dark roast coffee sold as whole bean or ground in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes; available as one-time purchase or subscription. Tasting notes: Robust, Smokey, Dried Fruit. Also available as K-Cup pods. Priced at $16.00 for 12oz.
• Old Town Custom Blend Medium Roast coffee Black Rock's custom blend medium roast coffee sold as whole bean or ground in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes; available as one-time purchase or subscription. Tasting notes: Full Bodied, Cocoa, Hazelnut. Also offered as Old Town Decaf and as Cold Brew Bags. Priced at $16.00 for 12oz.
• Single Origin - Ethiopia Light Roast coffee Single-origin light roast Ethiopian coffee sold as whole bean or ground in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes. Tasting notes: Citrus, Floral, Juicy. Priced at $18.00 for 12oz.
• Old Town Decaf coffee Decaffeinated version of Black Rock's Old Town custom blend medium roast, sold as whole bean or ground in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes. Priced at $16.00 for 12oz.
• Cold Brew Bags (Medium Roast) Custom blend medium roast cold brew bags for at-home brewing. Priced at $18.00 per bag.
• K-Cup Pods - Steel Bridge Dark Roast Keurig-compatible K-Cup pods using Black Rock's Steel Bridge custom blend dark roast. Priced at $20.00 per K-Cup pod pack.
• Black Rock Rewards loyalty program Free-to-join loyalty program where members earn 2 Bolts per $1 spent and redeem for free drinks; offers mobile order-ahead, free medium birthday drink, and gift card administration via Paytronix. Bolts expire after 180 days of inactivity; free drink rewards expire 60 days after loading.
• Black Rock Coffee Bar mobile app Native consumer mobile app for iOS (App Store id 6483943441) and Android (Google Play package 'com.paytronix.client.android.app.blackrockcoffee'). Provides order-ahead, store locator, rewards account management, gift card balance, and in-app enrollment. Built on the Paytronix client platform.
• Gift cards (E-Gift and physical) E-Gift cards and physical gift cards sold via the website and in-store, redeemable for products at any Black Rock Coffee Bar location; may be subject to expiration.
• Catering service Catering service for bulk coffee orders for meetings, events, and offices, available through the Black Rock menu collection (powered by JoeToGo).
• Black Rock branded drinkware Black Rock-branded insulated drinkware sold via the e-commerce shop, including the Bolt 20oz Flip Lid Bottle ($26.95), BR Badge 20oz Flip Lid Bottle ($26.95), Bolt 34oz Wide Mouth Bottle ($31.95), BR Badge 34oz Wide Mouth Bottle ($31.95), and replacement Straw Lid ($9.00).
• Fuel Energy Drinks Black Rock's proprietary Fuel energy drink line (Fuel®) - available as Create Your Own Iced Fuel, Create Your Own Frozen Fuel, Fuel by the Can, and named flavors including Blue Lagoon, Blue Melon, Mai Tai, Purple Galaxy, Star Burst, Sunrise, Sublime, and Teal. Each serving contains 180mg of caffeine; custom flavors include 30+ syrup options plus sugar-free variants.
• Protein, Powered Your Way (protein-customized menu) Menu-wide protein customization system enabling customers to add Protein-Boosted Milk (13-26g), a Protein Boost scoop (13g whey concentrate), or Protein Cold Foam (14-16g) to drinks across the entire menu, handcrafted by baristas using clean whey protein concentrate with no additives.
• High-Protein Egg Bites (Breakfast Anytime) High-protein food item added to the Breakfast Anytime lineup, available across all Black Rock locations as a protein-forward breakfast offering.
• Coco Lime Dirty Pop (with OLIPOP) limited-time offering Limited-time co-branded beverage combining OLIPOP's Dr. Goodwin functional soda with coconut, lime, and sweet cream; available at all Black Rock locations during the promotional window.

Quantifiable outcome

• Same-store sales growth of 9.2% year-over-year (Q1 2025 prior period)
• +6 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• OLIPOPminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 February 2026Limited-time partnership announced February 26, 2026 to launch 'Coco Lime Dirty Pop' beverage, available March 1 through April 30, 2026 across all Black Rock locations. Combines OLIPOP's Dr. Goodwin functional soda with coconut, lime, and sweet cream. Priced at $6.05-$6.95. Targets the growing 'dirty soda' trend.
• Russo ModularcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025Partnership announced October 2025 to deliver 20-30 modular building locations for Black Rock Coffee Bar in 2026. Includes collaboration with Russo Siteworx (new in-house site construction department created to handle permits, site prep, and installation). Supports the company's accelerated expansion toward the 1,000-store target by 2035.
• PaytronixcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner powering the relaunch of Black Rock Rewards mobile and online ordering platform. Enables in-store, drive-thru, and digital ordering with unified loyalty accrual across the iOS/Android app and web storefront.
• Autism SpeaksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational nonprofit partnership with planned company-wide Give Back Day in 2026 to support Autism Speaks' mission. Raises awareness and fosters inclusion in Black Rock's communities.
• Make-A-WishminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured community partner with Give Back Day events at Black Rock locations supporting Make-A-Wish fundraising efforts.
• Local schools and special education programsminorOthersBrew Buddies job-training program partners with local high schools to give special education students hands-on barista training including greeting guests and making drinks, building confidence and real-world skills.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dutch Bros Coffee: Directly comparable drive-thru coffee specialist with ~1,000+ company-owned and franchised locations across the Western and Southern US. Competes head-to-head with Black Rock on speed of service, premium beverages, and the energy drink / custom beverage platform.
• Scooter's Coffee: Drive-thru coffee franchise with ~700+ locations concentrated in the Midwest and expanding into the Western US. Offers similar premium espresso, energy drinks, and breakfast food, competing directly with Black Rock's drive-thru model and value proposition.

Emerging players

• 7 Brew: Rapidly growing drive-thru coffee chain operating 300+ locations across 30+ states with strong regional clusters. Competes with Black Rock on speed, customization, and energy drink variety as it expands into overlapping Western and Southwestern markets.

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks: Global coffee incumbent with ~40,000+ stores and broad beverage/food menu. While predominantly a cafe model, Starbucks has expanded drive-thru and mobile ordering capabilities that compete with Black Rock's premium drive-thru positioning in shared markets.
• Dunkin': Major US coffee and breakfast chain now part of Inspire Brands, with thousands of locations featuring drive-thru and on-the-go service. Competes with Black Rock on convenience, value coffee, and breakfast food in overlapping markets.
• Tim Hortons: North American coffee and QSR chain owned by Restaurant Brands International with thousands of locations. Competes on breakfast, premium coffee, and drive-thru service, though primarily active in Canada and the Eastern US rather than Black Rock's Western footprint.
• Krispy Kreme: Public coffee and doughnut chain (NASDAQ: DNUT) with expanding hot and iced coffee platform. Comparable as a public peer in the coffee-adjacent QSR category with drive-thru and digital ordering, though primary differentiator is doughnuts.

Regional players

• Biggby Coffee: Drive-thru and cafe coffee franchise with ~350+ locations primarily in the Midwest. Comparable to Black Rock on community-driven, barista-focused positioning and custom beverages, though operating in a different geographic footprint.
• The Human Bean: Drive-thru coffee franchise with ~200+ locations concentrated in the Western and Midwestern US. Comparable on drive-thru coffee model, espresso-based menu, and franchise-style growth, with overlapping footprint in several Western states where Black Rock operates.

Others

• Cinnabon: Specialty QSR concept under GoTo Foods focused on baked goods with coffee adjacencies. Adjacent rather than direct competitor, useful as a reference for franchise-driven QSR economics and limited-time beverage innovation that Black Rock also employs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blackrockcoffee
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackrockcoffeebar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-rock-coffee-bar

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Rock Coffee Bar