Cellini Caffe
Cellini Caffè is an Italian specialty coffee roaster (founded 1946) selling Nespresso- and Dolce Gusto-compatible aluminum capsules, ground coffee, ESE pods, and confectionery via DTC e-commerce and a B2B 'Cellini al Bar' program serving over 10,000 European bars.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1946
- HeadquartersGenova, Italy
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cellini Caffe does
Cellini Caffè is an Italian specialty coffee roasting company tracing its origins to 1946, when the Pieri family founded Torrefazione Columbia in Livorno. The Cellini master brand was created in 1996 by consolidating three heritage Italian coffee names — Columbia (1946), Filicori (founded Bologna, 1883), and Ekaf — under a unified 'Contemporary Italian Roastery' identity. Today the e-commerce business is operated through Frhome S.r.l. (legal HQ in Milan, operations in Messina), subject to the direction and coordination of parent EKAF – Industria Nazionale del Caffè S.p.A., which runs the roasting and packaging facility in Genoa (Lungotorrente Secca).
The company's product portfolio centers on aluminum coffee capsules compatible with Nespresso® Original and Nescafé® Dolce Gusto® machines — including blends named Melodico, Cremoso, Intenso, Portofino (a 100% Arabica blend awarded 3 Macinini by Gambero Rosso's 2026 Coffee Guide), and Decaffeinato — alongside compostable ESE pods (Cialde), ground coffee (Caffè Macinato), accessories, and artisanal confectionery. Core production technology comprises a slow-roasting process at 210-220°C for 15-18 minutes with computer-controlled roasting curves tuned per blend, laser-monitored grinding for granulometry consistency, aluminum capsule packaging in protective atmosphere, and an internal quality laboratory staffed by three Q GRADER certified professionals under ISO 9001 certification.
Commercially, Cellini runs two synchronized channels. Direct-to-consumer sales flow through a Shopify-powered storefront (cellinicaffe.com) shipping across the EU with a subscription tier ('Abbonati e Risparmia') offering 20-25% recurring savings. The B2B 'Cellini al Bar' program supplies professional coffee blends and training to over 10,000 baristas serving Cellini daily across Europe, anchored by the 'Accademia del Caffè Cellini' barista-training academy. Marketing spans organic social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), a 'Coffee Vibes' content blog, paid media (Google, Meta, TikTok, Spotify), and Klaviyo-powered email automation. The company is privately held, has 11-50 employees, and reports no external funding rounds.
Cellini Caffe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cellini Caffe
- Legal name
- Frhome S.r.l.
- Website
- https://cellinicaffe.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1946
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cellini Caffè is an Italian specialty coffee roaster (founded 1946) selling Nespresso- and Dolce Gusto-compatible aluminum capsules, ground coffee, ESE pods, and confectionery via DTC e-commerce and a B2B 'Cellini al Bar' program serving over 10,000 European bars.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cellini Caffe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)
Keywords
Where Cellini Caffe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Genova
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Cellini Caffe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- E-commerce Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of coffee products (capsules, ground coffee, pods, accessories, sweets) through cellinicaffe.com Shopify store. Products include compatible capsules for Nespresso and Dolce Gusto machines, ground coffee for Moka, espresso machines and filter coffee makers, and complementary products like accessories and confectionery.
- Subscription Service (Abbonati e Risparmia): Recurring subscription model offering regular deliveries of coffee products with 20-25% savings. Subscribers can choose delivery frequency (30 or 60 days), skip deliveries, and modify orders. Payment via credit card on subscription basis.
- B2B Bar/Café Supply: Supply of professional coffee blends to bars and cafés through the 'Cellini al Bar' program. The company has over 10,000 baristas serving Cellini coffee daily, offering exclusive products, services and assistance for bar professionals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Capsule Packs - Nespresso compatible |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dolce Gusto compatible capsules |
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscription - Abbonati e Risparmia |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ground Coffee (Caffè Macinato) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pods (Cialde) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
Cellini Caffe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cellini Caffè roasts and packages Italian specialty coffee sold primarily through its own e-commerce site. The core range includes Nespresso® Original-compatible capsules, Dolce Gusto®-compatible capsules, ESE paper pods, ground coffee blends, coffee accessories, and confectionery. Sales are completed via a D2C online store, a recurring subscription program, and a B2B professional channel called "Cellini al Bar."
Product overview
Cellini Caffè is an Italian specialty coffee company founded in 1946, operated by Frhome S.r.l. under direction of Ekaf – Industria Nazionale del Caffè S.p.A. The company operates as a 'Contemporary Italian Roastery' offering a diversified product portfolio centered on compatible coffee capsules for Nespresso® Original and Nescafé® Dolce Gusto® machines, complemented by ESE pods (Cialde), ground coffee (Caffè Macinato), accessories, and confectionery items. Key capsule products include Melodico, Cremoso, Intenso, Portofino (award-winning 3 Macinini Gambero Rosso 2026), Decaffeinato, and flavored varieties like Caffè al Ginseng, Nocciolino, and Orzo Biologico. The company serves both direct-to-consumer (via subscription service 'Abbonati e Risparmia') and B2B barista markets through its 'Cellini al Bar' program with over 10,000 partner bars.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nespresso® Original Compatible Capsules
- Dolce Gusto® Compatible Capsules
- ESE Paper Coffee Pods (Cialde)
- Ground Coffee (Caffè Macinato)
- Coffee Accessories
- Confectionery (Dolci e Cioccolato)
- Abbonati e Risparmia Coffee Subscription
- Cellini al Bar (B2B Professional Program)
Quantifiable outcome
- 3 Macinini award from Gambero Rosso (highest recognition) for the Portofino blend in the Guida Caffè e Torrefazioni d'Italia 2026
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cellini Caffe
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cellini Caffe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature4 records
Cellini Caffe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Ekaf – Industria Nazionale del Caffè S.p.A.coreEkaf – Industria Nazionale del Caffè S.p.A. exercises direction and coordination over Frhome S.r.l. (which operates cellinicaffe.com) pursuant to Article 2497 of the Italian Civil Code. Ekaf is the parent company and strategic coordinator, with the Genoa-based company being the production facility where Cellini coffee is roasted, blended, and packaged. The partnership includes the transfer of online sales data from Ekaf's systems to Frhome for service continuity.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cellini Caffe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group: Italian coffee conglomerate owning Segafredo Zanetti, Boncafé, and other regional brands — represents the broader incumbent group structure that Cellini (under Ekaf) is the smaller-scale version of, with similar B2B bar heritage.
Direct peers
- illy: Trieste-based premium Italian coffee brand with strong heritage, a global B2B foodservice presence (illy Issimo, iperEspresso system), and DTC operations — competes with Cellini in premium Italian positioning and bar/café channel partnerships.
- Costadoro Caffè: Turin-based specialty Italian coffee roaster founded in 1890, focused on espresso blends for the bar channel and high-end retail — competes with Cellini in the heritage Italian specialty coffee segment serving both B2B and DTC.
- Lavazza: Italy's largest coffee company (founded 1895, Turin), offering capsules (including proprietary A Modo Mio), ground coffee, beans, and a strong B2B bar channel — the dominant incumbent in Cellini's competitive set with significantly greater scale.
- Lollo Caffè: Italian compatible capsule brand positioned in the mid-premium tier, with Nespresso Original and Dolce Gusto lines plus B2B distribution — competes head-to-head with Cellini's core capsule SKUs.
- Caffè Borbone: Italian coffee roaster founded in 1999 in Naples, dominant in the Nespresso and Dolce Gusto compatible capsule segment with strong B2B bar presence and a fast-growing DTC subscription model — the closest direct comparison to Cellini's business model.
- Kimbo Caffè: Naples-based Italian coffee roaster founded in 1963, with strong B2B penetration in bars and a full range of capsules (including compatibles), beans, and ground coffee — operates a similar dual B2B/DTC model as Cellini.
- Pellini Caffè: Verona-based Italian coffee roaster with a family-owned heritage since 1922, producing compatible capsules, ESE pods, and ground coffee for both retail and foodservice — directly comparable to Cellini in size, heritage, and product mix.
- Diemme Caffè: Padova-based Italian specialty coffee roaster established in 1927, with a heritage B2B bar presence and growing DTC operations — directly comparable mid-sized Italian roaster to Cellini.
- Segafredo Zanetti: Italian coffee brand owned by Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group, with deep roots in the Italian bar channel and a growing retail/consumer product line — directly comparable to Cellini's heritage-and-bar-channel playbook.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cellini Caffe social profiles
Digital presenceCellini Caffe compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Cellini Caffe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cellini Caffe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cellini Caffe subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Cellini Caffe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cellini Caffe M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cellini Caffe
What does Cellini Caffe do?
Cellini Caffè roasts and packages Italian specialty coffee sold primarily through its own e-commerce site. The core range includes Nespresso® Original-compatible capsules, Dolce Gusto®-compatible capsules, ESE paper pods, ground coffee blends, coffee accessories, and confectionery. Sales are completed via a D2C online store, a recurring subscription program, and a B2B professional channel called "Cellini al Bar."
Is Cellini Caffe a public or private company?
Cellini Caffe is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Cellini Caffe founded?
Cellini Caffe was founded in 1946. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cellini Caffe based?
Cellini Caffe is headquartered in Genova, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Cellini Caffe make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. E-commerce Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are subscription Service (Abbonati e Risparmia) and B2B Bar/Café Supply.
Who are Cellini Caffe's main competitors?
Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are illy, Costadoro Caffè, Lavazza, Lollo Caffè, Caffè Borbone, Kimbo Caffè, Pellini Caffè, Diemme Caffè and Segafredo Zanetti.
Does Cellini Caffe have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cellini Caffe.
What industry is Cellini Caffe in?
Cellini Caffe's product category is Specialty Coffee Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAHAH, Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules), with a secondary code of CRAHAGAI, Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories). Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.