Refuge Coffee Co.

What Refuge Coffee Co. does

Refuge Coffee Co. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 by Kitti Murray in Clarkston, Georgia, that operates coffee retail and catering as a platform for a refugee and immigrant job training program. The organization employs 10-15 trainees annually in paid, full-time positions for a 12-14 month curriculum that includes barista instruction (credentialed through the Specialty Coffee Association), hospitality training, ServSafe food safety certification, ESOL/GED support, and job placement assistance; since inception, 55 baristas from 18 countries have been trained and more than 70% of full-time staff are resettled refugees or immigrants, including graduates who have advanced into management roles. The core technology is straightforward specialty coffee operations: roasting and beverage preparation, a mobile espresso cart/truck catering fleet, and a multi-location retail platform with online ordering via Toasttab.

The business operates through four metro Atlanta retail locations (Clarkston, Midtown at the Woodruff Arts Center, Norcross, and an upcoming Decatur site at Lulah Hills), a mobile catering business serving corporate events, film sets, weddings, and festivals across Dekalb, Fulton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties, event space rental ($125/hour at the Clarkston flagship), merchandise sales through an online shop, and a recurring donor program (Cortado Club). Revenue is a hybrid of transactional retail and catering fees, recurring donations, foundation grants, and event sponsorships; the organization states it invests over $1 million directly into the training program each year.

Customer segments include newly arrived refugees and immigrants receiving training (primary), local metro Atlanta community members seeking specialty coffee in a welcoming space (secondary), and event organizers and corporate clients (including Atlanta Film Studios and Woodruff Arts Center visitors) using the catering and event space offerings. Marketing centers on storytelling through a Weekly Pour email newsletter, organic social media, signature events such as the annual Refuge Coffee Run, chai-making workshops, and earned media including a 2026 feature on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Name

Refuge Coffee Co.

Legal name

Refuge Coffee Co.

Website

https://refugecoffeeco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Refuge Coffee Co. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating coffee shops and mobile catering in metro Atlanta as a paid, 12-14 month job training platform for resettled refugees and immigrants, serving community members, event clients, and a recurring donor base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Shop & Coffee Services

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG), Coffee Shops, Cafés & Beverage Programs (EDALADAG), Specialty Coffee Adjacent Beverage Bars (Chai, Cacao, Alternative Lattes) (THAFAKAH)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Mobile coffee catering
• Event space rental
• Barista job training
• Nonprofit coffee company

Headquarters

HQ city

Clarkston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee Sales: Revenue from coffee and specialty beverage sales at three retail locations (Clarkston, Midtown, Norcross) plus online ordering through Toasttab platform
2. Event Catering: Mobile espresso cart and coffee catering services for corporate events, film sets, weddings, parties, and festivals throughout metro Atlanta. Options include full trailer, espresso cart, or beverage-only delivery.
3. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals (one-time and monthly Cortado Club members), corporate sponsors for events, and grants from foundations supporting refugee resettlement and workforce development
4. Event Space Rental: Clarkston location available for private event rental including birthday parties, weddings, community events, meetings, and photo/film shoots during non-operating hours
5. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling Refuge Coffee branded merchandise including shirts and hats

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Refuge Coffee Co. operates specialty coffee shops in the metro Atlanta area (Clarkston, Midtown at Woodruff Arts Center, and Norcross), offers mobile coffee catering for corporate and private events, and runs an event space rental business. The company is structured as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses coffee sales as a platform to fund and deliver a paid 12-14 month barista job training program for newly arrived refugees.

Product overview

Refuge Coffee Co. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coffee company that operates a network of coffee shops and mobile catering services in the Atlanta metro area. The company offers four physical locations (Clarkston, Midtown, Norcross, and an upcoming Decatur location), mobile espresso catering for events, and an online merchandise shop. At its core, the organization uses coffee shops and catering operations as a platform for a comprehensive job training program that employs 10-15 refugee and immigrant trainees annually, providing paid full-time positions with barista training, hospitality instruction, food safety certification, and workforce development. Additional offerings include event space rental, chai-making workshops, and the annual Refuge Coffee Run fundraiser.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 55 baristas trained from 18 countries since 2015
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Refuge Coffee Run SponsorscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 September 202640+ corporate sponsors for annual 5K/1K/Color Run event including Canvas Planning Group, Boosterthon, Taqueria del Sol, PNC Bank, City of Clarkston, Greater Atlanta Family Healthcare, See Spark Go, Georgia State University, and many others providing financial and marketing support.
• Community Sponsorship HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization with permission to bring Afghan SIV refugees to the US through sponsor circles. Refuge Coffee is helping establish sponsor circles in Georgia, with trainees participating as vital members of sponsor groups.
• Coalition of Refugee Service Agencies (CRSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgia-based coalition of refugee service organizations. Refuge co-hosts World Refugee Day celebration with CRSA at the Eritrean-American Community Center in Stone Mountain.
• The Woodruff Arts CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier Atlanta arts complex housing Alliance Theater, Atlanta Symphony, and High Museum. Hosts the Refuge Midtown coffee shop location, sharing a vision of welcoming everyone to spaces of art and culture.
• Specialty Coffee AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association providing barista training curriculum and certification. Refuge Coffee provides professional barista instruction in partnership with SCA.
• City of ClarkstonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipal government of Clarkston, described as 'the most diverse square mile in the country.' Mayor Ted Terry actively supports and promotes Refuge Coffee as an example of community welcome.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Higher Grounds Coffee: Mission-driven coffee company focused on refugee and community impact, with similar nonprofit-adjacent model combining specialty coffee sales with employment programs for vulnerable populations.
• Pura Vida Coffee & Tea: Specialty coffee roaster and café operator with a social-impact ethos including refugee and immigrant employment, comparable to Refuge's blend of mission-driven training and retail operations.
• Café Momentum: Nonprofit restaurant and training program providing paid culinary and hospitality training to at-risk youth — directly analogous to Refuge's model of using a foodservice operation as a paid job-training classroom.
• Bean North Coffee Roasting: Specialty coffee roaster and café operator with strong community and social-enterprise positioning, comparable to Refuge in combining craft coffee with community impact programs.
• Just Coffee Cooperative: Worker-owned specialty coffee roaster with a mission-driven cooperative structure, comparable to Refuge in its values-led operating model and direct-to-consumer specialty coffee business.
• The Coffee Oasis: Nonprofit coffee company operating cafés whose profits fund youth services and employment programs — analogous to Refuge's nonprofit coffee shop funding refugee training programs.

Regional players

• Octane Coffee: Established Atlanta-based specialty coffee shop and roaster with multiple locations across the metro — competes for the same specialty coffee customer base in metro Atlanta where Refuge operates.
• West Egg Cafe: Atlanta-based community café and brunch operator with a strong neighborhood-gathering-space identity comparable to Refuge's community-anchored positioning.
• Condesa Coffee: Atlanta specialty coffee shop with a focus on hospitality and community, competing in the same metro Atlanta market as Refuge's coffee shops.

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks: Global coffee chain with established refugee hiring initiatives and the Starbucks Foundation's community grant programs; broader incumbent that overlaps with Refuge on specialty coffee retail, catering, and refugee employment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/refugecoffeeco
• Instagraminstagram.com/refugecoffeeco
• Xx.com/refugecoffeeco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refugecoffeeco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Refuge Coffee Co.