7 Leaves Cafe
7 Leaves Cafe is a Vietnamese-American specialty beverage chain operating 44 company-owned and franchise cafes across California, Texas, Nevada, Georgia, and Arizona, serving handcrafted Vietnamese-style coffee, tea, and artisan baked goods supported by a mobile app and Square-powered technology stack.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersGarden Grove, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What 7 Leaves Cafe does
7 Leaves Cafe is a Vietnamese-American specialty beverage and food chain operating 44 cafe locations across California, Texas, Nevada, Georgia, and Arizona, with 22 locations featuring drive-thru service. The company serves handcrafted Vietnamese-style coffees, milk teas, matcha, fruit refreshers, and artisan baked goods (macarons, croissants, croffles), built around signature offerings including the Sea Cream topping and Double Drip brewing method, with recipes derived from authentic Vietnamese and Southeast Asian ingredients such as pandan leaves, mung beans, taro root, and passion fruit. Founded in 2011-2012 by Sonny Nguyen (also referenced as Quang) and Denny Ly, the chain began as a 1,100-square-foot storefront in Little Saigon, Westminster, California, and has since expanded organically and through franchising since launching its franchise program in 2017.
The business operates a hybrid corporate-owned and franchise model supported by a technology stack anchored by Square's commerce platform (Square Register for point-of-sale, Square Handheld for drive-thru ordering, Square Loyalty for rewards), with Sage Intacct handling financial management and 7shifts managing staff scheduling. Customer engagement is driven by a LoyaltyPlant-powered mobile app that offers order-ahead, pickup, delivery, and a points-based loyalty program (1 Leaf per $1 spent, with rewards starting at 55 Leaves for a free 20oz drink). A sub-brand, ARTISAN by 7 Leaves, operates an elevated 3,000-square-foot fast-casual concept in Fountain Valley in partnership with Crema Bakery, featuring chef-driven brunch and artisan baked goods.
Revenue is generated primarily through direct retail beverage and food sales across the company-owned and franchise network, supplemented by franchise fees and royalties, in-store fundraising transactions (where 20% of qualifying pre-tax purchases are donated to nonprofits through the 7L In-Store Fundraising program), and mobile app-driven loyalty transactions. The chain also operates a Be The Change humanitarian initiative supporting education and resources for children and families along Cambodia's Tonle Sap River in partnership with International Humanitarian Missions. With no disclosed funding rounds and an estimated 501-1,000 employees, 7 Leaves Cafe has scaled through bootstrapped organic growth, franchise expansion, and reinvested cash flow over 14 years of operation.
7 Leaves Cafe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 7 Leaves Cafe
- Legal name
- 7 Leaves Cafe
- Website
- https://7leavescafe.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- 7 Leaves Cafe is a Vietnamese-American specialty beverage chain operating 44 company-owned and franchise cafes across California, Texas, Nevada, Georgia, and Arizona, serving handcrafted Vietnamese-style coffee, tea, and artisan baked goods supported by a mobile app and Square-powered technology stack.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
7 Leaves Cafe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee & Tea
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC), Drive-Thru Coffee Stands & Coffee Kiosks (THAFADAK)
Keywords
Where 7 Leaves Cafe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Garden Grove
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
7 Leaves Cafe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Beverage and Food Sales: 7 Leaves Cafe generates revenue primarily through direct retail sales of handcrafted Vietnamese-style coffee, tea, milk tea, matcha, refreshers, and artisan baked goods (macarons, croissants, croffles) across 44 company-owned and franchise locations in California, Texas, Nevada, and Georgia.
- Mobile App Ordering and Loyalty: The company operates a mobile app powered by LoyaltyPlant that enables order-ahead, in-store pickup, and delivery. Customers earn 'Leaves' (loyalty points) at a rate of 1 Leaf per $1 spent through the app or in-store with QR code scanning, with rewards redeemable for free drinks and treats.
- Community Fundraising Program: 7 Leaves Cafe operates a 7L In-Store Fundraising program where 20% of in-store and drive-thru purchases (pre-tax) are donated to qualifying nonprofit organizations. This drives foot traffic while generating revenue from qualifying purchases.
- Franchise Fees and Royalty Revenue: The company launched its franchising program in 2017, extending the brand to aligned franchise partners. While specific fee structures are not disclosed, franchise operations contribute to revenue through initial franchise fees and ongoing royalty arrangements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Loyalty program - earn 1 Leaf per $1 spent |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Free Macaron reward |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Free Coffee or Tea reward |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Birthday reward |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | 7L In-Store Fundraising - 20% donation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
7 Leaves Cafe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
7 Leaves Cafe is a specialty Vietnamese-American beverage and cafe chain that sells handcrafted coffee (including the proprietary Double Drip brew), tea, milk tea, matcha, refreshers, and artisan baked goods (macarons, croissants, croffles) across 44 company-owned and franchise locations in California, Texas, Nevada, and Georgia. The company complements its in-store and drive-thru service with a mobile app for order-ahead, pickup, delivery, and a points-based "Leaves" loyalty program.
Product overview
7 Leaves Cafe is a Vietnamese-American beverage and food chain operating 40 store locations across California, Texas, Nevada, and Georgia. Its core offering centers on handcrafted drinks — Vietnamese-style coffees, milk teas, matcha, and fruit refreshers — complemented by artisan baked goods including macarons, croissants, and croffles. The company offers a mobile app (iOS and Android) that enables order-ahead, pickup, and its Leaves loyalty rewards program. A sub-brand called ARTISAN by 7 Leaves, launched in 2021 in partnership with Crema Bakery, provides an elevated fast-casual dining experience featuring brunch and in-house baked goods. Operational technology is powered by Square's commerce platform (Square Register, Square Handheld, Square Loyalty), with Sage Intacct for financial management and 7shifts for staff scheduling. The company also runs a community fundraising program and a charitable impact initiative called Be The Change, supporting children and families in Cambodia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ARTISAN by 7 Leaves: An elevated fast-casual restaurant and café launched in July 2021 at 10065 Garfield Ave, Fountain Valley, CA, in partnership with Crema Bakery. Offers chef-driven brunch, fresh-baked croissants and macarons, and signature 7 Leaves beverages in a 3,000-square-foot setting.
Products and services
- 7 Leaves Cafe (Core Brand) Vietnamese-American specialty beverage and food cafe chain serving handcrafted coffee (Vietnamese coffee, Double Drip iced coffee, Sea Cream Black Coffee), tea, milk tea, matcha, refreshers, and artisan baked goods (macarons, croissants, croffles) across 44 locations. Note: brand inspiration dated 2011; first store January 2012 — both shown as factual milestones in the source.
- ARTISAN by 7 Leaves Elevated fast-casual restaurant and cafe sub-brand launched in partnership with Crema Bakery, offering chef-driven brunch, fresh-baked croissants and macarons, and full 7 Leaves signature beverages in a premium 3,000-square-foot setting in Fountain Valley, California.
- 7 Leaves Mobile App Mobile ordering and loyalty application for iOS and Android that allows customers to order ahead, skip the line, pick up in-store, request delivery, accumulate Leaves reward points, and receive exclusive offers and seasonal launch updates.
- Leaves Rewards Loyalty Program 7 Leaves' points-based loyalty program: customers earn 1 Leaf per $1 spent via the mobile app (in-store, online, or via QR code scan), redeemable for free macarons (20 Leaves), free coffee or tea 20oz (55 Leaves), and a birthday reward of 55 Leaves for registered users with a prior order. Leaves have no stated expiration.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 12.4 million cups served since 2012
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use 7 Leaves Cafe
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
7 Leaves Cafe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
7 Leaves Cafe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and strategic.
- Squarecore7 Leaves Cafe selected Square's commerce platform as its technology partner to power operations across all 44 locations. The deployment includes Square Register for point-of-sale, Square Handheld for drive-thru ordering (22 locations), and Square Loyalty for customer rewards. Integrations with Sage Intacct for financial management and 7shifts for staff scheduling complete the technology stack. The partnership aims to support national expansion while streamlining operations, reducing friction, and enhancing customer experience.
- Sage IntacctsupportingSage Intacct integration with Square's commerce platform provides financial management capabilities for 7 Leaves Cafe's 44 locations across 4 states, enabling standardized accounting and financial reporting as the chain scales nationally.
- 7shiftssupporting7shifts integration provides staff scheduling capabilities across 7 Leaves Cafe locations, integrated with Square's commerce platform to streamline workforce management as the chain expands.
- Crema BakerystrategicJoint venture partnership launched in July 2021 to create ARTISAN by 7 Leaves - a 3,000-square-foot elevated fast-casual restaurant and cafe at 10065 Garfield Ave, Fountain Valley. Crema brings beloved Orange County bakery expertise including fresh-baked croissants and macarons, while 7 Leaves provides signature beverages. The collaboration represents a deliberate exploration of what happens when the brand goes even deeper into quality and experience.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
7 Leaves Cafe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Quickly (Quickly Boba): Vietnamese-American bubble tea and coffee chain with deep roots in the same Vietnamese diaspora communities that 7 Leaves targets (Little Saigon, San Gabriel Valley). Comparable menu of milk teas, Vietnamese coffee, and community-driven store experience.
- Kung Fu Tea: U.S. bubble tea chain with hundreds of franchised locations. Competes directly with 7 Leaves for milk tea, specialty drinks, and dessert/baked goods attach; similar demographic targeting of younger and Asian-American consumers.
- Lollicup Fresh: U.S. bubble tea and coffee chain (parent of Lollicup Coffee & Tea) operating a franchise model with comparable tea-forward menu and community-focused branding. Directly comparable customer experience to 7 Leaves.
- The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: Direct competitor offering specialty coffee, tea, and espresso-based beverages with a similar cafe experience. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf overlaps strongly with 7 Leaves on handcrafted drinks, sit-in format, and loyalty programs, and serves a comparable customer seeking premium nonalcoholic beverages.
- Happy Lemon: Global bubble tea chain competing for milk tea, fruit tea, and specialty beverage customers. Overlaps with 7 Leaves on handcrafted, ingredient-forward positioning and franchise-driven expansion model.
- Ding Tea: Taiwanese bubble tea chain with significant U.S. franchise presence. Comparable menu of handcrafted milk teas and fruit teas, similar franchise growth model, and overlapping Asian-American customer base.
- Share Tea: Taiwanese bubble tea chain with strong U.S. presence, competing directly for handcrafted milk tea, fruit tea, and specialty beverage customers. Comparable format, customer demographic overlap, and franchise-driven growth model.
- Tiger Sugar: Specialty bubble tea chain known for signature brown sugar boba drinks. Comparable to 7 Leaves in handcrafted specialty beverage positioning, Instagram-driven brand presence, and urban/suburban mall footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Peet's Coffee: Large specialty coffee incumbent founded in Berkeley, California, with broad national footprint. Overlaps with 7 Leaves on premium handcrafted coffee and cafe format but operates a much wider portfolio and does not specialize in Vietnamese-style beverages.
- Starbucks: Global coffee and beverage incumbent with ubiquitous U.S. presence including drive-thru. Competes with 7 Leaves for daily coffee and tea occasions but does not specialize in Vietnamese-style beverages or Asian-community-focused branding.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
7 Leaves Cafe social profiles
Digital presence7 Leaves Cafe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
7 Leaves Cafe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
7 Leaves Cafe subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
7 Leaves Cafe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
7 Leaves Cafe 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 7 Leaves Cafe
What does 7 Leaves Cafe do?
7 Leaves Cafe is a specialty Vietnamese-American beverage and cafe chain that sells handcrafted coffee (including the proprietary Double Drip brew), tea, milk tea, matcha, refreshers, and artisan baked goods (macarons, croissants, croffles) across 44 company-owned and franchise locations in California, Texas, Nevada, and Georgia. The company complements its in-store and drive-thru service with a mobile app for order-ahead, pickup, delivery, and a points-based "Leaves" loyalty program.
Is 7 Leaves Cafe a public or private company?
7 Leaves Cafe is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 7 Leaves Cafe founded?
7 Leaves Cafe was founded in 2012. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is 7 Leaves Cafe based?
7 Leaves Cafe is headquartered in Garden Grove, United States, in the North America region.
How does 7 Leaves Cafe make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Beverage and Food Sales are the primary driver. The others are mobile App Ordering and Loyalty, community Fundraising Program and franchise Fees and Royalty Revenue.
Who are 7 Leaves Cafe's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Quickly (Quickly Boba), Kung Fu Tea, Lollicup Fresh, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Happy Lemon, Ding Tea, Share Tea and Tiger Sugar. Broad incumbents are Peet's Coffee and Starbucks.
Does 7 Leaves Cafe have an API?
No public API is recorded for 7 Leaves Cafe.
What industry is 7 Leaves Cafe in?
7 Leaves Cafe's product category is Specialty Coffee & Tea. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAG, Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus), with a secondary code of THAFADAC, Independent Neighborhood Cafes. Its NAICS code is 722515 and its SIC code is 5810.