What Cafe Moto does

Cafe Moto is a family-owned specialty coffee roastery headquartered in San Diego's Barrio Logan neighborhood, operating a cafe, retail store, and small-batch roastery at 2619 National Avenue. Founded in 1990 by the Lee family, who have been roasting coffee in San Diego since the late 1960s, the company is currently led by second-generation owners Torrey and Kimberly Lee. Its core offering is roasted specialty coffee, complemented by tea, cocoa, branded merchandise, and brewing equipment, with direct-trade sourcing from women-led cooperatives in Nicaragua, Colombia, Mexico, Sumatra, and Ethiopia under Kosher, Fair Trade, and Organic certifications.

The company's technical infrastructure combines vintage and sustainable production: a 1931 Jabez Burns American Jubilee Batch Roaster (still in active use) paired with a 100% solar-powered facility (105 solar panels / 30 kilowatt system). Proprietary capabilities include the V12 Cold Immersion brewing process, which keeps coffee cold through extraction at 41°F to deliver 300mg caffeine per 8oz serving in a low-acid format with 60-day shelf life. The business also operates Cafe Mechanica, a 7-day/week equipment installation, repair, and maintenance service for La Marzocco, Rocket, Wilbur Curtis, and Franke machines, and Cafe Moto Academy, San Diego's only Specialty Coffee Association Authorized Training Site.

Cafe Moto commercializes its products across six revenue streams: (1) direct-to-consumer retail through the cafe, drive-in espresso bar, and e-commerce site with national UPS shipping; (2) wholesale B2B supply and personal delivery to 100+ cafes and restaurants throughout San Diego County; (3) coffee equipment and gear sales; (4) equipment service contracts via Cafe Mechanica; (5) SCA-certified education courses priced from $49 to $1,685, plus shorter enthusiast workshops; and (6) mobile event catering packages starting at $370. Go-to-market mixes direct-to-consumer walk-up, e-commerce, and field sales supported by San Diego-based community event sponsorship (Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, Rebelle Rally since 2016, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition) and earned-media coverage.

Name

Cafe Moto

Legal name

Cafe Moto

Website

https://cafemoto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cafe Moto is a family-owned specialty coffee roastery in San Diego's Barrio Logan, founded in 1990, that roasts small-batch coffee, tea, and cocoa on a 100% solar-powered facility. It serves direct consumers, 100+ wholesale cafe and restaurant accounts in San Diego County, and SCA-certified barista students, with additional equipment service and event catering verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roastery

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coffee, Espresso & Tea Appliances Retail (CRACADAC)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Coffee wholesale distribution
• SCA barista training
• Coffee equipment service
• Mobile espresso catering

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Sales: Direct sales of roasted coffee (single origin, blends, espresso, decaf, flavored), tea products, and cocoa to consumers through cafe, store, and e-commerce. Products sold in various sizes from 12oz to 5lb bags.
2. Wholesale/B2B Coffee Distribution: Supplying coffee, tea, and cocoa products to other cafes, restaurants, and commercial accounts throughout San Diego County. Personal delivery to local accounts with UPS national distribution.
3. Coffee Equipment & Gear Sales: Sale of espresso machines, grinders, water filtration systems, and coffee making equipment and accessories through their Gear section.
4. Equipment Service (Cafe Mechanica): Installation, warranty service, repairs, preventative maintenance, and technical support for commercial espresso machines and coffee equipment. Loaner and rental machines available.
5. SCA Education & Training: Specialty Coffee Association certified courses including Introduction to Coffee ($275), Barista Skills Foundation ($595), Intermediate ($1,200), and Professional ($1,685). Also shorter enthusiast and professional courses ranging $49-$295.
6. Event Catering Services: Mobile espresso catering with options including Espresso Mobile (from $1,070 for 3 hours), Fuel Station (from $595), and Proper Drip (from $370). Additional barista services, add-ons, and pickup catering options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cafe Moto is a specialty coffee roastery that roasts and sells small-batch coffee, tea, and cocoa products directly to consumers via its Barrio Logan cafe and national e-commerce site, and wholesale to cafes and restaurants across San Diego County. The company also operates Cafe Moto Academy for SCA-certified barista training, Cafe Mechanica for espresso equipment installation and repair, and a mobile catering service for events.

Product overview

Cafe Moto is a specialty coffee roastery offering a comprehensive portfolio centered on roasted coffee, tea, and cocoa products. The core offerings include coffee products (single origin, blends, espresso, organic, decaf, flavored, and cold brew varieties), tea products, and cocoa products, complemented by branded merchandise and coffee brewing equipment/gear. Key sub-brands include V12 Cold Immersion (cold brew coffee) and Cafe Moto Academy (education). The business also provides Cafe Mechanica service for equipment maintenance and event catering services. The company operates a 100% solar-powered roastery in San Diego's Barrio Logan neighborhood.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coffee Products Specialty roasted coffee offerings including single origin, blends, espresso, organic, decaf, flavored, and cold brew varieties sourced from Fair Trade and Organic certified cooperatives worldwide, sold in 12oz to 5lb bags to consumers and wholesale accounts.
• Tea Products Wide selection of teas including black, white, green, oolong, tisanes, flavored black, and decaf black varieties sourced from global tea-growing regions, sold in 4oz and 1lb sizes.
• Cocoa Products Mexican-style and organic cocoa beverage mixes including Chocolate De Mexico, Mocha Mix FTO, and White Heat.
• V12 Cold Immersion Proprietary cold immersion cold brew coffee product made with Triple Certified (Kosher, Fair Trade, Organic) coffees, featuring low acid and high caffeine content (300mg per 8oz serving), available in 1 and 2.5 gallon jugs with 60-day shelf life.
• Coffee Gear Retail line of coffee brewing equipment and accessories including espresso machines (La Marzocco, Rocket), grinders (Baratza, Mahlkönig), kettles (Fellow Stagg, Hario), pour-over devices (Chemex, Hario V60, AeroPress), and cleaning supplies.
• Merchandise Branded merchandise including clothing (t-shirts, sweatshirts, rugby shirts), hats (trucker, bucket, derby), bags, containers (mugs, tumblers, water bottles, camp mugs), and accessories.
• Cafe Moto Academy (SCA Training) Education division offering SCA-certified courses (Introduction to Coffee $275; Barista Skills Foundation $595, Intermediate $1,200, Professional $1,685) plus specialty workshops in latte art, home brewing methods, and coffee cupping ($49-$295). 10% bundle discount for booking all three Barista courses together.
• Cafe Mechanica (Equipment Service) Installation, repair, and maintenance service for espresso machines and coffee equipment including La Marzocco, Rocket, Wilbur Curtis, and Franke brands, with on-call technicians available seven days a week. Loaner and rental machines available.
• Event Catering Mobile espresso and catering services for events including Espresso Mobile (from $1,070/3hr), Fuel Station (from $595/3hr, min 50 guests), and Proper Drip (from $370/3hr, min 50 guests), plus pickup/to-go drip coffees and cold brew packages. Additional hours $195; 30-mile travel fee $175; 20% service fee + 7.75% tax.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300mg caffeine per 8oz serving (V12 Cold Brew)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rebelle RallyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Official Coffee Sponsor since 2016. Cafe Moto created a special women-led cooperative coffee blend for the event. The Rebelle Rally is the first women's off-road rally, aligning with Cafe Moto's commitment to gender equity in coffee sourcing.
• San Diego County Bicycle CoalitionminorOthersCommunity partnership supporting bicycle advocacy and safe cycling in San Diego. Cafe Moto participates in coalition events and initiatives.
• Distinguished Gentleman's RideminorOthersAnnual global motorcycle rally raising funds for prostate cancer and men's mental health. Co-owner Torrey Lee participates annually representing Cafe Moto.
• Las Hermanas Women's CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst women-led cooperative partnership since 2001. Cafe Moto purchases coffee from Las Hermanas (Nicaragua) with ongoing community investments including solar coffee pre-dryers, organic produce market refrigerator, water treatment, cancer screening, and youth training programs.
• Ketiara Women's CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ketiara cooperative in Sumatra's Gayo Highlands. Funded bilingual children's books for English learning programs. Supports community initiatives including trash collection and water management.
• Cooagronevada (Cooperative of Sierra Nevada and Santa Marta Coffee Growers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Sandra Palacios and Cooagronevada cooperative in Colombia. Cafe Moto provided eco-stoves to reduce wood fuel consumption and improve quality of life in rural farming communities.
• CASIL CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2009 with 12 founding members (originally 4 women, 8 men) focused on quality standards. Supported with Fair Trade premiums funding workshops and training for consistency and quality improvement.
• San Diego SolarcoreTechnology or IntegrationRecommended solar panel provider that coordinated Cafe Moto's 105 rooftop solar panels and inverter upgrades for their 30 kilowatt system.
• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCA is the largest global coffee trade association. Cafe Moto houses San Diego's only Certified SCA AST Trainers offering globally recognized specialty coffee education including Introduction to Coffee and Barista Skills modules.
• CESMACH (Unión CESMACH Santa Cruz)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CESMACH cooperative in Mexico's El Triunfo Ecological Reserve. Supports 36% female membership and 11% under age 30. Cafe Moto sources decaf coffee through direct relationships.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bird Rock Coffee Roasters: San Diego-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with direct-trade sourcing, multiple cafe locations, and a similar small-batch roasting model. Direct local competitor targeting the same wholesale accounts and consumer base in San Diego County.
• Dark Horse Coffee Roasters: San Diego specialty coffee roaster and cafe serving a comparable customer profile with focus on craft roasting and direct-trade sourcing. Competes for the same wholesale cafe/restaurant accounts and direct consumer specialty coffee customers.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster with cafe locations, wholesale distribution, and proprietary draft latte/cold-brew innovations. Directly comparable in offering portfolio (coffee, cold brew, equipment, wholesale) though operating at greater scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Independent specialty coffee roaster offering SCA-certified training programs, wholesale distribution, and direct-trade sourcing. Comparable model of education-driven wholesale specialty coffee with sustainability focus.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with strong direct-trade sourcing, multiple retail locations, and a similar farm-to-cup value proposition. Comparable in craft-focused positioning and wholesale cafe supply model.
• Heart Coffee Roasters: Independent specialty coffee roaster with cafe, wholesale distribution, and direct-trade sourcing. Comparable craft-focused single-origin/blend portfolio and small-batch production model to Cafe Moto.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Large-scale specialty coffee roaster with nationwide cafe footprint, e-commerce, and wholesale. Operates broadly in the same premium specialty segment but with venture-backed scale, broader geographic reach, and significantly larger marketing budget.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Established specialty coffee roaster (acquired by Peet's/then Starbucks) with cafe, wholesale, and direct-trade heritage. Comparable product portfolio and craft-coffee positioning but at materially larger scale and distribution.
• Peet's Coffee: Major specialty coffee roaster and cafe chain with national retail, wholesale, and e-commerce operations. Overlaps with Cafe Moto in roasted coffee retail and B2B foodservice supply but at vastly different scale and brand positioning.

Others

• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA): The global coffee trade association that certifies Cafe Moto's Academy and curriculum. Not a competitor but a strategic ecosystem partner whose certification framework underpins Cafe Moto's training revenue stream.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cafemoto
• Facebookfacebook.com/CafeMoto
• Instagraminstagram.com/cafemoto

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Cafe Moto