The Coffee Club

What The Coffee Club does

The Coffee Club is an Australian café chain founded in 1989 in Brisbane by Emmanuel Drivas and Emmanuel Kokoris, with Director John Lazarou, operating a primarily franchise-based model that has grown to over 400 locations across 13 countries, including 200+ stores across Australia plus international franchise presence in New Zealand and the UAE. The company serves a broad consumer mass market — families, everyday diners, takeaway coffee buyers, and casual social gatherings — through multiple store formats: traditional cafés, high-traffic kiosks, and drive-thrus. Its core product offering centers on the proprietary Three Stories® specialty coffee blend (Brazil Serra Negra 50% Arabica, Colombia CoCentrale 30% Arabica, India Sethuraman 20% Robusta — the latter source having won world's best Robusta 8 times), an all-day food menu spanning breakfast through evening service, and product extensions such as a Protein Milk upgrade and seasonal menus like Winter Toasties.

The business operates five principal revenue streams: (1) franchise fees and royalties from its 400+ franchise network, (2) retail store sales from company-operated and franchised cafés, kiosks, and drive-thrus, (3) e-commerce sales of Three Stories coffee beans, branded merchandise, and gift cards via a Shopify storefront, (4) corporate and event catering under The Coffee Club Catering, and (5) marketplace commission revenue from delivery partnerships with DoorDash and Uber Eats. Pricing is predominantly unit-based with public-holiday surcharges (15%) and credit-card surcharges (0.75%); a new paid "The Club" loyalty membership at A$3/year is being rolled out state-by-state, transitioning from the legacy free VIP/App program. The HQ is at Level 7, 88 Tribune Street, South Brisbane, Queensland, and the company is privately held with no external institutional or PE/VC backing disclosed in available sources.

The Coffee Club's technology and differentiation rest on proprietary blend sourcing and roasting, the "Coffee Guarantee" service promise (remade if not made to order), flexible franchise store formats, and a multi-channel ordering ecosystem (in-store, click & collect, DoorDash, Uber Eats). It maintains SEDEX membership for supply-chain ethics and APCO "Advanced" packaging sustainability rating, has donated over A$2.1M to Children's Hospital Foundation, and reports saving 500,000+ containers and 70 tonnes of paper annually through sustainable packaging. Distribution channels are global via franchise, with regional emphasis on Australia and recent promotional push into the UAE.

Name

The Coffee Club

Legal name

The Coffee Club Australia

Website

https://coffeeclub.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Coffee Club is a privately held Australian café chain founded in 1989, operating 400+ franchise locations across 13 countries with 200+ in Australia. It serves everyday consumers and families through cafés, kiosks, and drive-thrus, anchored by its proprietary Three Stories specialty coffee blend.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Café and coffee shop services

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE), Drive-Thru Coffee Stands & Coffee Kiosks (THAFADAK), Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Café franchise operations
• Coffee bean e-commerce
• Branded merchandise sales
• Café catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Revenue from franchise partners including initial franchise fees and ongoing royalties based on store performance. Franchise opportunities across Australia with flexible store formats.
2. Retail Store Sales: Direct revenue from 200+ company-owned and franchise stores across Australia selling food, beverages, and coffee. Multiple formats including cafes, drive-thrus, and kiosks.
3. Online Merchandise and Coffee Sales: E-commerce sales through coffeeclub.com.au including Three Stories coffee beans (250g and 1kg bags), branded merchandise (totes, mugs, caps, keyrings), and gift cards.
4. Catering Services: Corporate and event catering services providing boxed food and beverage packages for customer events.
5. Delivery Commission: Third-party delivery partnerships with DoorDash and Uber Eats generating commission revenue on orders placed through aggregators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Coffee Club operates a franchise-based café chain serving coffee and an all-day food menu to consumers through physical locations and digital ordering channels. It also sells branded coffee and merchandise through e-commerce, provides event catering, and supports repeat purchases through The Club loyalty program.

Product overview

The Coffee Club is an Australian café chain operating since 1989, offering a multi-format retail experience across café, restaurant, kiosk, and drive-thru store formats. The core product offering centers on its proprietary Three Stories® specialty coffee brand (Chapter 1 and Decaf Interlude varieties), supported by an all-day food menu featuring breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. The company operates The Club loyalty program providing member-exclusive pricing, offers catering services for events, and sells branded merchandise including mugs, caps, and apparel. The business integrates with third-party delivery platforms (DoorDash, Uber Eats) to enable food delivery, and has expanded internationally with locations across the UAE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Three Stories®: The company's exclusive specialty coffee blend, roasted in Melbourne. Features notes of rich dark chocolate, sticky toffee, and roasted hazelnuts. Made from Brazil Serra Negra (50% Arabica), Colombia CoCentrale (30% Arabica), and India Sethuraman (20% Robusta) beans.
• The Club
• The Coffee Club Catering

Products and services

• Café dining and all-day food service Franchised café service offering coffee and an all-day food menu to walk-in and digitally ordering consumers.
• Three Stories coffee blend The Coffee Club's proprietary coffee blend, offered as part of its branded coffee product line.
• Event catering Catering service for events, meetings, and group occasions using the company's café food and beverage offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2.1 million donated to Children's Hospital Foundation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership enabling customers to order The Coffee Club menu items through DoorDash platform for home delivery. Active partnership visible on website and menu pages with dedicated landing page integration.
• Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership through Uber Eats platform allowing customers to order food and beverages for delivery. Partnership prominently featured on main website with integrated ordering links.
• SEDEXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEthical trading program membership for supply chain transparency and data tracking. Demonstrates commitment to responsible sourcing and supply chain ethics.
• APCO (Australasian Packaging Covenant Organisation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPackaging sustainability membership with 'Advanced' rating under APCO framework. All branded packaging is free from added PFAS substances.
• Tea DropcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier partnership for ethically sourced tea供应. All tea products are ethically sourced through this partnership.
• Mum ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on limited-edition merchandise caps for Father's Day. Mum Club x TCC branded products including Roasted Daily Cap, Caffeine Before Chaos Cap, and G-Ma Energy Cap at $52 each.
• Children's Hospital FoundationcoreOthersLong-term charitable partnership with over $2.1 million donated to support children's hospital services and programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gloria Jean's Coffees: Australian-founded specialty coffee franchise chain with global presence, operating a similar franchise model in malls and high-street locations. Direct competitor in the Australian cafe chain segment with overlapping customer demographics and product mix.
• Starbucks Australia: Global coffee chain with significant Australian presence competing directly in the same specialty coffee and cafe experience category. Comparable in store format, target customer, and beverage-led menu model.
• Michel's Patisserie: Australian cafe-bakery franchise chain offering coffee alongside pastries and light meals. Operates similar franchise model with comparable store economics and customer base in shopping centres and suburban locations.
• Muffin Break: Australian cafe franchise specialising in coffee, muffins, and light meals. Directly competes in the franchise cafe segment with overlapping menu, customer demographic, and franchise-based distribution model.
• Costa Coffee: UK-based international coffee chain with presence in Australia and other markets. Comparable specialty coffee franchise model with similar product offering and store format spanning high street and on-the-go locations.
• The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: International specialty coffee and tea chain with comparable franchise model and premium coffee positioning. Direct competitor in the specialty cafe segment with overlapping beverage-led menu format.
• Zarraffa's Coffee: Australian drive-thru specialty coffee franchise with strong Queensland presence. Directly competes in the drive-thru coffee segment with similar proprietary blend, franchise model, and convenience-focused customer base.

Broad incumbents

• McCafé (McDonald's): Drive-thru and in-store coffee concept operated by McDonald's, the largest coffee chain in Australia by volume. Competes on convenience, price, and drive-thru occasions with overlapping mass-market customer base.

Regional players

• Hudson Coffee: Australian coffee and food chain with strong presence in food court and convenience locations. Comparable franchise model targeting quick-service coffee occasions in transport hubs and retail centres.

Emerging players

• 7-Eleven (coffee): Convenience store chain with significant coffee program competing on price and convenience. Represents a comparable on-the-go coffee proposition but operates within a broader convenience retail model rather than a dedicated cafe chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/thecoffeeclub
• Facebookfacebook.com/tccau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thecoffeeclubaustralia
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecoffeeclubaustralia
• TikToktiktok.com/@thecoffeeclubaustralia

Compliance2 records

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 The Coffee Club