Green Beans Coffee Company

What Green Beans Coffee Company does

Green Beans Coffee Company is a third-wave specialty coffee retailer and franchise of military-affiliated cafés founded in 1997 by two brothers from California, currently operating as a privately held subsidiary of Elevate Gourmet Brands. Headquartered in San Rafael, California, the company runs more than 60 locations worldwide across three formats: U.S. airports (SFO, BNA, DFW, SAT), domestic military bases (Ft. Carson, Ft. Moore/Benning, The Pentagon), and forward-deployed military bases in Djibouti, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. The company handcrafts approximately 20,000 cups of coffee daily and serves a customer base of airport travelers, on-base U.S. military personnel and their families, and deployed service members receiving donated coffee.

The core technology stack is built on commodity SaaS: Shopify powers the company's e-commerce storefront for the Cup of Joe for a Joe donation program, the Military Gift Card product, and subscription/recurring coffee donations, while Toast POS handles in-store operations at the Nashville BNA flagship. The company's single piece of described proprietary logic is the Cup of Joe Random Distribution Algorithm, which randomly assigns purchased coffee donations across deployed service members to maximize geographic spread across bases and countries; the corresponding Cup of Joe portal at joe.greenbeanscoffee.com enables recipients to claim donations. The company also operates a vintage merchandise storefront through a CafePress partnership.

Green Beans makes money through four streams: (1) retail café sales of handcrafted coffee drinks, specialty beverages, smoothies, frappes, frozen drinks, fresh-baked muffins, and pastries across its physical footprint; (2) e-commerce product sales of Military Gift Cards ($25, $50, $75, and $100 denominations with 10% bonus value) and Cup of Joe donations ($3 per cup); (3) recurring Cup of Joe subscriptions with weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, and bi-weekly billing cadences; and (4) merchandise sales through the CafePress partnership. Pricing is unit-based across donations and gift cards and standard concession pricing in cafes. GTM combines product-led retail presence (foot-traffic in airports, military bases, and cities), community-led engagement (Random Acts of Coffee viral campaign now spanning SFO, BNA, DFW), and event-driven positioning (sponsorships such as the 2022 George W Bush Presidential Center Forum on Leadership and the San Mateo High School Culinary Arts partnership). Distribution is split between direct-operated cafés, partner-operated kiosks (Pronto! at SFO/SAT, Whisk & Bowl at DFW), and the global e-commerce portal, with the brand serving as the consumer-facing identity and Cup of Joe for a Joe serving as the donation sub-brand.

Name

Green Beans Coffee Company

Legal name

Green Beans Coffee Company

Website

https://greenbeanscoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Green Beans Coffee Company, founded 1997 and a subsidiary of Elevate Gourmet Brands, operates 60+ third-wave coffee cafés at U.S. airports, domestic military bases, and forward-deployed bases in seven countries, serving travelers, on-base personnel, and deployed service members through its Cup of Joe for a Joe donation program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Retail

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating Places (5812), 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 (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Specialty Coffee Adjacent Beverage Bars (Chai, Cacao, Alternative Lattes) (THAFAKAH)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Third-wave coffee cafes
• Airport coffee shops
• Military base coffee service
• Coffee subscription donations

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Café Sales: Physical café locations generate revenue through sale of coffee drinks, specialty beverages, smoothies, frappes, frozen drinks, fresh-baked muffins and pastries. The company serves approximately 20,000 cups of coffee daily across its locations.
2. E-commerce Product Sales: Online sales of Military Gift Cards ($25-$100 denominations with 10% bonus value) and Cup of Joe donations ($3 per cup) through the Shopify-powered website.
3. Subscription Coffee Program: Recurring Cup of Joe donations with flexible delivery frequencies (Weekly, Monthly, Bi-Monthly, Bi-Weekly) allowing supporters to automatically send coffee to deployed troops.
4. Merchandise Sales: Vintage merchandise including mugs, t-shirts, dog tags, and location-specific branded items sold through CafePress partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Green Beans Coffee Company operates physical third-wave coffee cafés at U.S. airports, U.S. military bases, and overseas deployment locations (including Djibouti, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Qatar, and UAE), serving handcrafted coffee drinks, specialty beverages, and baked goods. The company also runs the Cup of Joe For a Joe donation program and Military Gift Card program, enabling civilians to purchase coffee for deployed U.S. service members through a Shopify-powered e-commerce platform, with over 60 locations handcrafting approximately 20,000 cups daily.

Product overview

Green Beans Coffee Company operates a multi-channel coffee business consisting of physical café locations at airports and military bases, e-commerce products including the Cup of Joe For a Joe donation program and Military Gift Cards, a vintage merchandise store, and a fundraising program. The core offering centers on serving handcrafted artisan coffee while supporting U.S. service members. The Cup of Joe For a Joe program allows civilians to send coffee donations to deployed troops, while Military Gift Cards enable direct gifting to specific bases. The company handcrafts approximately 20,000 cups daily across over 60 locations worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cup of Joe For a Joe: Program that allows supporters to purchase coffee donations for deployed service members, with option to exchange messages
• Military Gift Card
• Pronto!

Products and services

• Green Beans Coffee Cafés

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000 cups of coffee served daily
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fisher House FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFisher House Foundation builds comfort homes where military service members and veterans' families can stay free of charge while a loved one is in the hospital. Green Beans Coffee supports this cause through donations and visibility on their Causes page.
• Walter Reed National Military Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerica's academic health center and global leader for military medical readiness. Green Beans Coffee supports through donations and awareness on their Causes page.
• Veterans Community ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKansas City-based nonprofit creating Veterans Village with transitional tiny-homes for homeless veterans. Green Beans Coffee supplies coffee to Veterans Village Kansas City through the 'Veterans Community Perk' partnership with E&K Retail.
• SWAN (Service Women Action Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember-driven network dedicated to supporting, connecting and advocating for service women past, present and future. Green Beans Coffee supports through donations and visibility on their Causes page.
• E&K RetailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Veterans Community Perk program with Veterans Community Project and Green Beans Coffee for supplying coffee to Veterans Village Kansas City.
• Silhouette Architecture DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago-based architecture firm that designed Green Beans Coffee's new store locations including the 3,000-sq ft Nashville BNA flagship and SFO International Terminal G rebrand.
• San Mateo High School Culinary Arts ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership where culinary arts students gain hands-on experience working at Green Beans Coffee SFO café locations. Students earn dual enrollment credits and industry certifications through the program.
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreen Beans Coffee operates multiple locations at SFO including International Terminal G, Terminal 3 Hub, and Pronto kiosk. Featured in SFO's video campaigns including 'If you see something, say something' and '#MaskOnSFO' music video.
• Nashville International Airport (BNA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreen Beans Coffee operates flagship 3,000-sq ft location at BNA South Terminal and Pronto! Marketplace on concourse B. Partnership with MNAA and Fraport.
• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoffee served at Whisk & Bowl bakery locations in DFW Terminals A and C. Part of Random Acts of Coffee campaign expansion.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering the Green Beans Coffee online store for Military Gift Cards and Cup of Joe donations. Handles payment processing, order management, and store operations.
• FraportminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAirport operator partner for Green Beans Coffee expansion at Nashville International Airport alongside MNAA.
• George W Bush Presidential CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGreen Beans Coffee sponsored the 2022 Forum on Leadership at the George W Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, TX. Served espresso bar and presented Cup of Joe For a Joe exhibit showcasing 15-year program impact.
• CafePressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner platform for Green Beans Coffee vintage merchandise including location-specific mugs, t-shirts, dog tags, and apparel.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Black Rifle Coffee Company: Veteran-founded specialty coffee brand explicitly positioned around U.S. military and first-responder communities. Operates retail cafés, subscription e-commerce, and merchandise programs — closely mirroring Green Beans' veteran-led brand DNA and direct-to-consumer donation model.
• Peet's Coffee: Premium third-wave coffee roaster with airport cafés and on-base commissary distribution. Closest head-to-head competitor to Green Beans on product quality and airport terminal real estate.
• Caribou Coffee: Specialty coffee chain with strong airport presence and military/veteran-friendly positioning. Comparable multi-format mix of retail cafés and packaged retail coffee, with similar ticket economics.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Third-wave specialty roaster with airport cafés and wholesale to cafés/hotels. Comparable on product positioning (specialty single-origin) and on premium traveler customer.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee brand with airport cafés (including draft latte on tap) and DTC subscription e-commerce. Closely comparable in combining third-wave cafés with subscription model and airport retail presence.
• PJ's Coffee of New Orleans: Specialty coffee chain with veteran-affiliated franchisees and base/military community presence. Comparable third-wave product, café format, and outreach to military consumer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks: Largest U.S. specialty coffee chain with deep airport and military base presence through direct stores and licensed partners. Competes with Green Beans in nearly every SFO, BNA, DFW, and SAT location for the same traveler and employee customers.
• Dunkin': Mass-market coffee and baked goods chain with extensive airport concessions and military exchange (AAFES) shelf presence. Competes for the same high-traffic traveler and on-base customer base at a lower price point.
• Lavazza: Italian coffee brand with airport café concessions and significant military exchange (AAFES) packaged coffee distribution. Competes on airport traveler occasions and on-base grocery shelves.
• Compass Group / HMSHost: Largest U.S. airport food & beverage concessionaire that operates and supplies many of the same terminals (SFO, DFW, BNA, SAT). Acts as both competitor for prime real estate and indirect partner for service quality benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/greenbeanscoffeecompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1039154
• Instagraminstagram.com/greenbeanscoffeecompany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Green Beans Coffee Company