What Urth Caffe Licensing does

Urth Caffé Corporation is a privately held specialty coffee and café operator founded in 1989 in Southern California, recognized as America's first heirloom and organic coffee company. The company operates approximately 14 retail café locations across Southern California (including Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Laguna Beach, Orange, Hawthorne, and an LAX airport location) and Nevada (Las Vegas and Henderson), with a licensed café inside Wynn Las Vegas. Internationally, the brand is licensed to third-party operators in Saudi Arabia and Dubai under the urthcaffe.sa and urthcaffe.ae domains. The core product offering centers on three pillars: heirloom organic coffee (sourced from exclusive partnerships including Mountain Gorilla Coffee Estate in Uganda and Wazuka matcha growers in Japan), fine loose-leaf teas from world-renowned gardens, and handmade bakery items paired with health-conscious cuisine. The company maintains third-party organic certification with annual farm inspections and chemical residue testing.

The business model combines direct-to-consumer retail café sales, e-commerce (coffee, tea, merchandise, gift cards shipped directly), catering services, and a royalty/licensing stream from international and resort-based operators. Revenue is generated primarily through in-store transactions across owned café locations, supplemented by online retail, a loyalty program that awards credits redeemable for free drinks, and licensing fees from the Wynn Las Vegas partnership and Middle East operators. Marketing is conducted through the company's owned website, email newsletters, organic social media (notably Instagram-driven latte art content), and the loyalty program. The customer base is health-conscious consumers and general café-goers in Southern California, Las Vegas, and the Middle East, with no disclosed enterprise or B2B contracts. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors, and operates with a long-tenured team — notably including its first hired employee from 1993 still serving as a top manager.

Name

Urth Caffe Licensing

Legal name

Urth Caffé Corporation

Website

https://urthcaffe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Urth Caffé is a privately held Southern California specialty coffee and café chain founded in 1989, operating approximately 14 company-owned and licensed retail locations across the US and the Middle East, serving health-conscious consumers with heirloom organic coffee, fine teas, and health-conscious cuisine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Shops

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG), Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee shops
• Organic heirloom coffee
• Fine loose leaf tea
• Cafe brand licensing
• Artisan bakery products

Headquarters

HQ city

West Hollywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Café Sales: In-store sales of coffee, espresso, tea drinks, food menu items, and bakery products at company-owned and operated café locations across Southern California and Las Vegas.
2. E-commerce/Shop Sales: Online sales of coffee beans, teas, merchandise (mugs, travel tumblers, apparel), and gift cards through the Urth Caffé online store with next business day shipping.
3. Catering Services: Catering menu and services offered to customers placing orders for events and gatherings.
4. Loyalty Program: Urth Loyalty rewards program that tracks customer purchases and awards credits for drinks purchased, encouraging repeat business and customer retention.
5. Licensing Revenue: Licensing fees from franchise/licensed operations in Saudi Arabia and Dubai (operated by third parties), and branded café location at Wynn Las Vegas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Urth Caffé operates a chain of retail cafés serving heirloom organic coffee, fine loose-leaf teas, health-conscious cuisine, and handmade bakery items across Southern California and Las Vegas. The company also licenses its brand to third-party operators in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, and sells coffee, tea, merchandise, and gift cards through its e-commerce online shop with catering services for events.

Product overview

Urth Caffé is a European-style café chain operating 13 locations across Southern California, Nevada (including Las Vegas), with international locations in Saudi Arabia and Dubai. Founded in 1989 as America's first heirloom and organic coffee company, the company offers a unified experience centered on three core pillars: (1) Urth Heirloom Organic Coffee—available in signature blends, single varietals, and Swiss Water decaf options; (2) Urth Fine Teas—sourced from world-renowned tea gardens including exclusive matcha from Wazuka, Japan; and (3) Handmade Bakery & Health-Conscious Cuisine—featuring cakes, cheesecakes, pies, and all-day brunch/lunch menus. Supporting offerings include an online shop for retail coffee/tea purchases, branded merchandise, a loyalty rewards program, catering services, gift cards, and specialty products like Mountain Gorilla Coffee from Uganda.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urth Heirloom Organic Coffee America's first heirloom organic coffee available in signature blends, light, medium, and dark roasts, single organic varietals, limited reserve offerings, and Swiss Water Decafs. Sourced from heirloom species grown under deep shade, producing naturally lower-acid coffee with distinctive aroma and superior flavor.
• Urth Fine Teas Fine loose leaf black, fruit scented, oolong, green, white, matcha green teas, and herbal infusions sourced from world-renowned tea gardens. Most teas are certified organic or sourced from traditional gardens growing tea in harmony with nature for hundreds of years.
• Mountain Gorilla Coffee Single-origin heirloom bourbon coffee from Uganda's Afromontane forests at 9,000 feet altitude in volcanic soil, exclusively available at Urth Caffé. Part of the Mountain Gorilla Coffee Project supporting smallholder farmers and gorilla habitat conservation.
• Wazuka Matcha Ceremonial-grade organic matcha green tea from Akihiro Nakai's Entsu Estate in Wazuka, Japan. Hand-harvested exclusively for Urth Caffé under shade blanket canopies using secret organic compost from local herring and tea tree trimmings.
• Urth Bakery and Desserts Handmade bakery items prepared fresh daily, including Exquisite Cakes, Famous Cheesecakes, Old-Fashioned Pies, Pound Cakes, Tiramisù, Fresh Baked Classic Cookies, Vegan Desserts, and Breads and Pastries.
• Cafe Food Menu Health-conscious cuisine served at café locations including breakfast items (Pancakes, French Toast, Breakfast Bowls, Omelets, Paninis), All-Day Brunch, and Lunch/Dinner options with vegan, gluten-free, and plant-based choices.
• Catering Service Catering menu and services available for events and gatherings, with full menu options ordered through the online ordering system or in-store.
• Urth Merchandise Branded merchandise including Berets, Baseball Caps, Polo Shirts, Tee Shirts, Ceramic Mugs, Travel Tumblers, and Tea Canisters, sold through the online shop.
• Urth Gift Cards and e-Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards redeemable for café purchases and online shop orders, available directly from the Urth Caffé online store.
• Urth Pies Fresh pies available for online ordering through the dedicated Urth Caffé Pies ordering platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Heirloom coffee has superior flavor, more distinctive aroma, and is naturally lower in acid for easier digestion compared to conventional coffees

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• Mountain Gorilla Organic Coffee Estate (Uganda Farmers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Since 2004, Urth Caffé has partnered with smallholder farming communities in Uganda to source Mountain Gorilla Coffee. The company invests in solar power systems, rainwater collection, tools, dairy cows, livestock, and coffee processing equipment to support farmers while protecting mountain gorilla habitat. This exclusive partnership produces the highest grown coffee in the world exclusively available at Urth Caffé.
• Wynn Las VegascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUrth Caffé operates a licensed café location inside the Wynn Las Vegas resort at 3131 S. Las Vegas Blvd. This is a strategic location within a luxury hotel-casino property, providing access to tourists and high-end clientele in Las Vegas.
• Urth Caffé Saudi Arabia (Third-Party Operator)regionalOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed Urth Caffé operation in Saudi Arabia (urthcaffe.sa) operated by a third party not owned or controlled by Urth Caffé Corporation.
• Urth Caffé Dubai (Third-Party Operator)regionalOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed Urth Caffé operation in Dubai (urthcaffe.ae) operated by a third party not owned or controlled by Urth Caffé Corporation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Third-wave specialty coffee roaster and café operator founded in Oakland. Operates cafés across the US (including Southern California), with a comparable focus on single-origin, fresh-roasted coffee and direct-trade sourcing. Most directly comparable specialty competitor.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland-based third-wave coffee roaster and café operator (owned by Peet's). Famous for direct-trade relationships and high-end cafés. Directly comparable to Urth's heirloom/single-origin positioning and café-plus-roaster model.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster and café operator (acquired by Peet's). Pioneer of Direct Trade sourcing model. Directly comparable as a third-wave competitor with owned cafés and roasted coffee retail.
• Philz Coffee: Bay Area-based specialty coffee chain known for customized handcrafted drinks and a cult following in California. Operates cafés across California and select US cities, competing for the same premium single-cup customer.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Santa Cruz-origin specialty coffee roaster and café operator with locations in California and Japan. Comparable as a West Coast third-wave peer with strong brand identity and direct-trade sourcing.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster focused on sustainability, organic certification, and education. Comparable to Urth's third-wave/values-led positioning, though primarily wholesale rather than owned-café.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Philadelphia-based specialty coffee roaster and café operator with national distribution through cafés, grocery, and RTD canned coffee. Comparable as a third-wave roaster expanding into adjacent product categories (relevant to Urth's merchandise/gift boxes).

Broad incumbents

• Peet's Coffee: Established specialty coffee chain founded in Berkeley, California — Urth's direct regional neighbor. Broader scale and product portfolio, with a presence in grocery, foodservice, and cafés across the US. Comparable as a California-rooted specialty incumbent.
• The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: Established specialty coffee and tea chain with strong Southern California presence and international licensing across Asia and the Middle East. Directly comparable on café-plus-tea positioning and Middle East licensing model.
• Starbucks Reserve Roastery: Starbucks' premium small-lot and Reserve-store concept, including flagship roasteries. Represents the well-capitalized incumbent's response to the third-wave category in which Urth operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UrthCaffeLA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urth-caffe

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Urth Caffe Licensing