The Coffee
The Coffee is a Brazilian specialty coffee chain founded in 2018 by the Fertonani brothers, blending Brazilian coffee heritage with Japanese minimalist culture. It operates a franchise-led network of approximately 200 stores across 29 countries, using proprietary mobile and tablet ordering technology to serve urban specialty coffee consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersCuritiba, Brazil
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Coffee does
The Coffee is a Brazilian specialty coffee chain founded in 2018 in Curitiba by brothers Alexandre, Carlos, and Luis Fertonani, inspired by Japanese minimalist coffee culture. The company operates compact, technology-enabled stores that serve specialty coffee beverages, food items, branded merchandise (tumblers, mugs, drippers, paper filters, umbrellas, tote bags), matcha products, and tiered retail coffee bean lines (White, Kraft, and Black editions with 82+ to 88+ SCA-style point ratings, plus limited Kyoto and Shibuya microlots). Its core technology stack consists of a proprietary mobile ordering application (iOS and Android) and in-store tablet-based ordering systems with integrated payment processing, designed for a frictionless grab-and-go customer experience. The company self-operates roasting at its Curitiba headquarters under a dedicated Master Roaster, supporting vertical quality control on the supply side.
The Coffee's business model is franchise-led international expansion combined with diversified revenue streams. Growth is driven by partnering with local franchisees to open stores in new markets, with a stated target of growing from 200 stores across 29 countries in 2022 to 350 stores in 2023, particularly expanding into Mexico, Peru, the Middle East, and other markets. Revenue streams include retail coffee and food sales, franchise fees and royalties, branded merchandise sales, and direct-to-consumer coffee bean sales. The company is venture-backed, having raised approximately US$30.5 million cumulatively across five rounds (2019-2023) led by Monashees and CapSur Capital, with proceeds earmarked for international franchising and technology infrastructure. The primary customer segments are urban coffee consumers seeking quality specialty coffee in a minimalist environment, and franchisee partners seeking a differentiated brand with established supply chain and technology.
The Coffee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Coffee
- Legal name
- Café Fratelli Franqueadora LTDA
- Website
- https://thecoffee.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Coffee is a Brazilian specialty coffee chain founded in 2018 by the Fertonani brothers, blending Brazilian coffee heritage with Japanese minimalist culture. It operates a franchise-led network of approximately 200 stores across 29 countries, using proprietary mobile and tablet ordering technology to serve urban specialty coffee consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Coffee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Retail
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing (AFAFADAD), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)
Keywords
Where The Coffee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Curitiba
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Coffee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Coffee Sales: Revenue from direct sales of coffee beverages and food items through company-owned and franchised retail locations worldwide.
- Franchise Fees and Licensing: Income generated from franchising the The Coffee brand to international partners, including franchise fees and ongoing royalties from franchisee operations.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including tote bags, tumblers (240ml and 360ml), mugs, umbrellas, and coffee brewing accessories such as drippers and paper filters.
- Coffee Bean Sales: Direct sales of premium roasted coffee beans in multiple editions: White bag (82+ points), Kraft edition (85-87 points, single origin microlot), and Black edition (88+ points, high complexity single origin).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Franchise investment opportunity |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Coffee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Coffee operates a Japanese-inspired minimalist specialty coffee retail chain, selling coffee beverages, food items, and signature authorial drinks through company-owned and franchised stores across 29 countries. The company also sells proprietary roasted coffee beans in three tiers (White, Kraft, Black editions), limited-edition microlot single-origin coffees, and branded merchandise including tumblers, mugs, drippers, paper filters, tote bags, umbrellas, and matcha. Customers order through a proprietary mobile app or in-store tablets with integrated payment processing.
Product overview
The Coffee is a Japanese-inspired Brazilian coffee chain offering a unified product portfolio centered on specialty coffee beverages and branded merchandise. The core offering includes seasonal beverages, purist drinks (Bebidas Puristas), signature authorial beverages (Bebidas Autorais), pour-over coffees (Coados), and food items. Supporting the beverage lineup are proprietary coffee products sold in three tiers: White bag (80-85 points), Kraft edition (85-87 points), and Black edition (88+ points), as well as Kyoto and Shibuya microlot single-origin offerings. The company also offers merchandise including tumblers, mugs, totebags, drippers, paper filters, umbrellas, and matcha cans. A proprietary mobile app for iOS and Android enables ordering and payment, complementing in-store tablet-based ordering systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- White bag 250g
Quantifiable outcome
- 200 stores globally with plans to expand to 350 stores in 2023
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Coffee
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Coffee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Coffee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- UkiominorBrand collaboration and partnership featured in the Colabs e parcerias section of The Coffee website.
- Minor FiguresminorBrand collaboration with oat milk brand Minor Figures, featured in The Coffee's colabs and partnerships section.
- CreamyminorCollaborative partnership with Creamy brand for lip balms with coffee aromas, as featured on Exame marketing coverage.
- Heliot EmilminorFashion brand collaboration creating limited edition products with Heliot Emil, featured in The Coffee's colabs section.
- Carolina HerreraminorLimited edition coffees inspired by Carolina Herrera perfumes, launched in The Coffee stores as featured in various press coverage.
- RAFCO Entertainment & ManagementminorPartnership with RAFCO Entertainment & Management for the 'Behind the Grind' speakeasy concept at The Coffee Grind location in Massapequa, New York, marking a growth milestone into experiential hospitality.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Coffee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- % Arabica: % Arabica operates a global specialty coffee chain with a Japanese-minimalist design language, single-origin pours, and premium positioning across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. It is the closest comparable to The Coffee in brand aesthetic, customer target, and specialty coffee focus.
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Blue Bottle is a US-originated third-wave specialty coffee chain (now owned by Nestle) with a premium minimalist aesthetic and direct trade sourcing. Highly comparable in positioning, customer target, and product tiering, though with deeper capital and primarily North American/Asian footprint.
- Peet's Coffee: Peet's Coffee is a US specialty coffee chain with ~300+ cafes and a strong wholesale grocery business, founded on the Peet's specialty roast legacy. Comparable in specialty positioning and bean-led brand, and as a reference point for the Bean-to-Cup to retail-cafe trajectory The Coffee is pursuing.
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Stumptown is a Portland-originated third-wave specialty coffee roaster with cafe retail and wholesale operations. Comparable in vertical integration (own roasting, tiered bean offerings, cafe retail) and specialty positioning, though with a primarily North American footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Starbucks: Starbucks is the dominant global coffee chain with ~38,000 stores across 80+ markets and a deeply entrenched mobile ordering and loyalty platform. It is the scale incumbent against which The Coffee's smaller-format, premium-specialty positioning must differentiate.
- Tim Hortons: Tim Hortons operates ~5,500 cafes across North America, Middle East, and other markets with a franchised international growth model. Comparable in franchise-driven international expansion strategy and coffee/beverage-led menu, though positioned at a lower price tier than The Coffee.
- Costa Coffee: Costa Coffee (owned by Coca-Cola) operates ~3,800 stores globally with strong UK and Asia presence and a franchise-heavy international model. Comparable as a global coffee chain with established franchising infrastructure, though positioned more mass-market than The Coffee.
Emerging players
- Luckin Coffee: Luckin Coffee operates 20,000+ small-format tech-enabled coffee stores primarily in China with a mobile-first, low-price model. Comparable in technology-enabled ordering and small-box store economics, though with very different price positioning and limited geographic overlap.
- Juan Valdez Café: Juan Valdez Café is a Colombian-origin specialty coffee chain with 500+ stores across Latin America, Spain, and other markets. Comparable as a Latin American-origin specialty chain expanding internationally via franchising, with similar emerging-market growth profile.
Regional players
- Café do Ponto: Café do Ponto is a leading Brazilian specialty coffee chain (acquired by Uber Brasil / iFood parent) with strong national footprint in Brazil. Comparable as a Brazilian coffee chain with retail cafe operations, useful as a direct domestic benchmark for The Coffee's home market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Coffee social profiles
Digital presenceThe Coffee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Coffee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Coffee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Coffee M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Coffee
What does The Coffee do?
The Coffee operates a Japanese-inspired minimalist specialty coffee retail chain, selling coffee beverages, food items, and signature authorial drinks through company-owned and franchised stores across 29 countries. The company also sells proprietary roasted coffee beans in three tiers (White, Kraft, Black editions), limited-edition microlot single-origin coffees, and branded merchandise including tumblers, mugs, drippers, paper filters, tote bags, umbrellas, and matcha. Customers order through a proprietary mobile app or in-store tablets with integrated payment processing.
Is The Coffee a public or private company?
The Coffee is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was The Coffee founded?
The Coffee was founded in 2018. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Coffee based?
The Coffee is headquartered in Curitiba, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does The Coffee make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Coffee Sales are the primary driver. The others are franchise Fees and Licensing, merchandise Sales and coffee Bean Sales.
Who are The Coffee's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are % Arabica, Blue Bottle Coffee, Peet's Coffee and Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Broad incumbents are Starbucks, Tim Hortons and Costa Coffee. Emerging players are Luckin Coffee and Juan Valdez Café. Café do Ponto is listed as a regional player.
Does The Coffee have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Coffee.
What industry is The Coffee in?
The Coffee's product category is Specialty Coffee Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAA, Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave), with a secondary code of AFAFADAD, Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 722515 and its SIC code is 5810.