Dunn Brother's Coffee

What Dunn Brother's Coffee does

Dunn Brothers Coffee is a Minneapolis-headquartered specialty coffee franchisor founded in 1987 by brothers Ed and Dan Dunn, operating under the legal entity Dunn Bros Coffee Franchising, Inc. The company's defining operational feature is daily in-store small-batch roasting at every location, executed by roasters trained through the proprietary Dunn Brothers Certified Roaster Program, with the stated guarantee that coffee is never more than five days old. The product portfolio spans freshly roasted coffee, handcrafted espresso and specialty beverages (including cold brew and seasonal limited-time offerings under the Infinite Black sub-brand), a made-to-order breakfast and lunch menu, and grocery-packaged beans and K-Cups.

The company monetizes primarily through a franchise model with an initial $30,000 fee, a 5% royalty, and a 3% national marketing fund contribution on franchisee sales, with total store-level investment ranging from $456,000 to $798,960. Distribution extends across nearly 50 franchised locations in seven Upper Midwest states (Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and others), direct-to-consumer e-commerce shipping, grocery retail through Kowalski's and Lunds Byerly's, catering via ezCater, and a mobile rewards app. Sourcing is anchored by Fair Trade USA, Rainforest Alliance, World Coffee Research, and Cafe Imports partnerships, including a Women Coffee Producers Collection launched in 2018. The central franchising entity is small (11–50 employees), privately held with no disclosed parent or institutional investor, and led by President Ben Anderson.

Name

Dunn Brother's Coffee

Legal name

Dunn Bros Coffee Franchising, Inc.

Website

https://dunnbrothers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dunn Brothers Coffee is a Minneapolis-based specialty coffee franchisor founded in 1987, operating nearly 50 locally-owned shops across seven Upper Midwest states through daily in-store roasting, certified roasters, and a multi-channel distribution model spanning e-commerce, grocery, catering, and a rewards app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Retail

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG), RTD Coffee Production (Non-Dairy/Non-Alcoholic) (AFAFABAE), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Coffee shop franchise
• Small batch roasting
• Coffee catering services
• Retail grocery coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fee of $30,000 for new franchisees, plus ongoing royalty fees of 5% of sales and marketing fund contributions of 3% of sales.
2. Retail Coffee Shop Sales: Revenue from company-owned and franchised coffee shop locations selling beverages, food, and merchandise directly to consumers.
3. E-commerce and Retail Grocery: Sale of roasted coffee beans, K-Cups, and related products through the company's online shop and grocery retail partners including Kowalski's and Lunds Byerly's.
4. Catering Services: Catering services for events and office locations through ezCater integration, providing coffee, beverages, and food for gatherings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dunn Brothers Coffee is a specialty coffee retailer that roasts small batches of coffee in-store daily at each of its nearly 50 locations, ensuring beans are never more than 5 days old. Beyond handcrafted beverages and a build-your-own breakfast and lunch menu, the company sells packaged coffee at grocery retail, ships beans through e-commerce, provides catering via ezCater, runs a mobile rewards and order-ahead app, and licenses its operating model to franchisees across the Upper Midwest.

Product overview

Dunn Brothers Coffee operates as a Minneapolis-based specialty coffee chain founded in 1987, offering a unified portfolio centered on small-batch, in-store roasted coffee and handcrafted beverages. The core product line includes freshly roasted coffee (roasted daily, never more than 5 days old), specialty drinks (espresso, cold brew, nitro, teas, seasonal LTOs), and a breakfast/lunch food menu (build-your-own sandwiches, bakery items, soups, naan pizzas). The company extends its brand through a mobile rewards app (loyalty points, birthday drinks, exclusive offers), online ordering for delivery/pickup, catering services via EZCater, and retail grocery products (ground coffee, whole bean, K-Cups) sold at Kowalski's and Lunds Byerly's. Additionally, the company offers a franchise program for entrepreneurs to open new locations across the Upper Midwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Infinite Black: Cold brew coffee product line

Products and services

• Fresh Roasted Coffee (In-Store Roasted) Small-batch coffee roasted in-store every day at each location, ensuring coffee is never more than 5 days old. The foundational product of Dunn Brothers Coffee since founding in 1987, served via handcrafted beverages in-store and sold as whole bean, ground, and K-Cup products at grocery retail and through e-commerce.
• Coffee & Specialty Drinks Handcrafted beverages including espresso drinks, cold brew, nitro drinks, teas, frappes, and seasonal specialty drinks such as Espressotini, Butterfly Citrus Spritz, and Butterscotch Barrel Fizz, sold at Dunn Brothers Coffee shop locations for immediate consumption and mobile order-ahead.
• Breakfast & Lunch Menu Made-to-order breakfast sandwiches built on hand-cracked egg soufflé and cheese with choice of bread and protein, plus burritos, avocado toast, bakery items, sandwiches, naan pizzas, soups, and fresh-baked pastries served all day at Dunn Brothers Coffee locations.
• Dunn Brothers Rewards App Mobile loyalty application (iOS and Android) where customers earn 1 point per $1 spent, redeem 170 points for a free prepared beverage up to $8 value, receive a free birthday drink, and access exclusive member offers and order-ahead functionality.
• Online Ordering for Delivery and Pickup Digital order-ahead service for delivery and pickup, integrated through the Dunn Brothers Rewards mobile app and a third-party ordering platform (order.online), enabling customers to place orders in advance at participating locations.
• Catering Services (via ezCater) Catering for offices and events providing handcrafted Dunn Brothers drinks, fresh-baked pastries, and made-to-order food, coordinated through the ezCater platform.
• At-Grocery Coffee Products Pre-packaged roasted coffee products (Founder's Blend Light Roast, Classic Cafe Blend Medium Roast, Nightfall Blend Dark Roast, Brazil Whole Bean, Guatemala Whole Bean, and K-Cup pods) distributed through grocery retail partners Kowalski's and Lunds Byerly's in the Upper Midwest.
• Dunn Brothers Coffee Franchise Program Franchise program licensing the Dunn Brothers Coffee brand, operational systems, training (at Minneapolis headquarters), and ongoing support to entrepreneurs opening new shops; financial requirements include minimum $100,000 liquid assets, $500,000 net worth, $30,000 initial franchise fee, and total investment of $456,000-$798,960 per location, with ongoing 5% royalty and 3% marketing fund.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cafe ImportscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership with Cafe Imports to source coffee from women producers globally. Through the Women Coffee Producers Collection, women producers receive additional premiums per pound for their coffee, with no stipulations on how premiums are used—often applied to community projects like health-care access and education.
• Fair Trade USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDunn Brothers Coffee partners with Fair Trade USA, one of the most respected certifiers of sustainably grown coffee. The company is committed to offering 100% certified or independently verified sustainably produced coffees.
• Rainforest AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Rainforest Alliance for certification of sustainably grown coffee. The company verifies that farmers adhere to sustainable farming practices that protect the environment while producing quality coffees.
• World Coffee ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDunn Brothers has partnered with World Coffee Research (WCR), a collaborative R&D program of the global coffee industry committed to growing, protecting, and enhancing coffee supplies while improving livelihoods of producing families.
• CENFROCAFEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative of 220 small-scale farms from the Cajamarca region of Peru supporting 2,000 farmer members and their families with access to education, health care, and social services.
• ezCaterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCatering partnership through ezCater for office and event coffee and food catering services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Caribou Coffee: Minneapolis-founded specialty coffee chain operating company-owned and franchised stores across the Midwest and beyond. Highly comparable to Dunn Brothers given shared Upper Midwest heritage, craft positioning, and multi-channel retail presence.
• Dutch Bros Coffee: One of the largest U.S. franchise coffee chains with a similar focus on handcrafted specialty drinks, loyalty programs, and community-rooted positioning. Comparable as a franchise-driven growth story competing for the same consumer occasions.
• Biggby Coffee: Community-focused franchise coffee chain operating several hundred locations primarily in the Midwest. Comparable on franchise-led growth, neighborhood-store positioning, and emphasis on loyalty and local community engagement.
• Scooter's Coffee: Large and rapidly growing franchise coffee chain known for drive-thru specialty beverages. Directly comparable on franchise-led growth model, coffee-forward menu, and aggressive unit expansion strategy targeting similar suburban/community markets.

Others

• Kicking Horse Coffee: Premium specialty coffee roaster selling primarily through grocery and e-commerce rather than cafés. Comparable on craft, fair-trade certified coffee positioning and grocery-distribution strategy.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster focused on direct-trade sourcing, training programs, and wholesale supply to cafés and foodservice. Comparable on specialty sourcing partnerships, roaster training ethos, and B2B/wholesale channels.

Broad incumbents

• Peet's Coffee: Established premium coffee roaster and café operator with cafés, grocery, and e-commerce distribution. Comparable on craft roasting heritage, multi-channel monetization, and premium positioning versus mass-market chains.
• Starbucks: Global coffee incumbent with the largest specialty coffee footprint and a licensed-store model that overlaps with Dunn Brothers' franchised approach. Comparable as the dominant competitive reference point in the U.S. specialty coffee category.
• The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: Specialty coffee and tea café chain with company-owned and franchised stores and a strong grocery product line. Comparable on specialty beverage menu, franchised unit model, and retail grocery distribution of branded coffee.

Emerging players

• Black Rifle Coffee Company: Veteran-founded premium coffee brand combining cafés, subscription, and grocery distribution. Comparable on specialty sourcing, multi-channel retail/grocery presence, and brand-led positioning versus legacy chains.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dunnbroscoffees
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxw17GosC-F0HNqeVFbgqxQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/dunnbrotherscoffee
• Instagraminstagram.com/dunnbroscoffee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dunn-bros-coffee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Dunn Brother's Coffee