Coffee Fellows
Coffee Fellows is a German coffeehouse chain and hospitality operator, founded in Munich in 1999, running 260+ coffee shops and 13 hotels across Germany and seven international markets, serving commuters, travelers, and urban consumers with espresso beverages, bagels, and integrated hotel accommodations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersUnterföhring, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Coffee Fellows does
Coffee Fellows GmbH is a family-owned German coffeehouse chain and hospitality operator founded in Munich in 1999 by Stefan Tewes, headquartered in Unterföhring near Munich. The company operates more than 260 coffee shop locations across Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Malta, Egypt, and Mongolia, with an integrated hotel portfolio of 13 properties spanning Dortmund, Trier, München-Freiham, Puchheim, Pfaffenhofen, Frankfurt-Langen, and an upcoming Berlin-Mitte site. The core product is espresso-based coffee and complementary food (bagels, paninis, overnight oats, sweets) prepared with portafilter machines and proprietary long-roast blends (12+ minutes per batch) using Tanzanian Arabica and Indian Monsooned Robusta beans.
Coffee Fellows firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coffee Fellows
- Legal name
- Coffee Fellows GmbH
- Website
- https://coffee-fellows.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Coffee Fellows is a German coffeehouse chain and hospitality operator, founded in Munich in 1999, running 260+ coffee shops and 13 hotels across Germany and seven international markets, serving commuters, travelers, and urban consumers with espresso beverages, bagels, and integrated hotel accommodations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coffee Fellows industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Coffee Shop & Hospitality Services
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)
Keywords
Where Coffee Fellows is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Unterföhring
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices12 records
Markets served
Coffee Fellows business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Coffee Shop Sales: Revenue from selling coffee beverages, food items (bagels, snacks, sweets), and non-alcoholic drinks across owned and franchise coffee shop locations in Germany and internationally.
- Hotel Accommodations: Revenue from overnight stays at Coffee Fellows Hotels offering combined coffee shop and hotel experience. Hotels include locations in Dortmund, Trier, München-Freiham, Puchheim, Pfaffenhofen, Frankfurt-Airport, and Berlin (coming soon).
- Online Merchandise: Online sales of coffee beans (Espresso, Café Crème, Filterkaffee) for home brewing through the Coffee Fellows online shop.
- Franchise & Lease Model: Revenue from franchise partnerships and lease arrangements for coffee shop locations at airports, highway rest stops, and other commercial properties.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Loyalty Program - Bean Collection |
| Subscription | Monthly | Coffee Flatrate (Hotel Benefit) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Coffee Fellows product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coffee Fellows operates a chain of coffee shops serving espresso-based beverages, hot drinks, bagels, snacks, overnight oats, sweets, and retail coffee beans, complemented by an integrated hotel concept combining coffeeshops with hotel accommodations. The company operates 260+ retail locations across Germany and internationally (airports, highway rest stops, train stations, urban centers), 13 hybrid hotels, an online shop for home-brewing beans, and a mobile loyalty app with bean-collection rewards.
Product overview
Coffee Fellows is a German coffeehouse chain and hospitality company offering a unified coffee shop and hotel concept. The core offering includes espresso-based coffee and hot drinks prepared with proprietary roasted beans using portafilter machines, complemented by fresh food items (bagels, paninis, overnight oats, sweets). The company operates an expanding portfolio of coffee shops across Germany and neighboring countries, including locations at airports, train stations, and highway rest stops. Additionally, Coffee Fellows has developed a hybrid hotel concept combining coffee shop facilities with hotel accommodations at multiple German locations. The company also sells retail coffee beans for home preparation and maintains a mobile loyalty app. Founded in 1999 in Munich, the company has grown to over 260 locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Coffee Fellows
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Coffee Fellows technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Coffee Fellows partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Deutscher Hockey-Bund (DHB)coreCoffee Fellows became official Premium Partner of the German Hockey Association (DHB) starting in 2026. Partnership supports both men's and women's National Hockey Teams as well as Special Hockey Teams where people with intellectual disabilities actively participate. Partnership emphasizes shared values of hospitality, team spirit, and inclusive sports engagement.
- VodafoneminorCEO Stefan Tewes was featured as guest on the Vodafone Business Podcast discussing company growth story, business model differentiation, and founder mindset. Vodafone provided podcast platform and marketing support.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Coffee Fellows competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- McCafé: McDonald's premium coffee counter concept, with strong presence at highway rest stops and airports in Germany — overlapping heavily with Coffee Fellows' Raststätte and airport footprint.
- Segafredo Zanetti Espresso: Italian coffee chain operating franchised coffee bars across Europe with strong airport and travel-hub presence. Comparable as a coffee chain with integrated roasting and cafe operations targeting similar travel customers.
- Espresso House: Scandinavian coffee chain with growing European footprint, including Germany. Comparable mid-sized chain targeting commuters and urban professionals with handcrafted espresso beverages.
- Café del Sol: German coffee and cake restaurant chain with locations across Germany. Comparable as a domestic German chain competing in the cafe-bakery segment with similar target customer.
Broad incumbents
- Costa Coffee: UK-based global coffee chain (owned by Coca-Cola) with strong presence at European travel hubs. Direct competitor for airport and travel-hub customer occasions.
- Tchibo: German coffee and consumer goods company operating Tchibo coffee shops across Germany. Directly comparable as a German-headquartered coffee chain competing in the same domestic market with similar brand heritage.
- Lavazza: Italian coffee manufacturer and increasingly cafe operator, with 'Lavazza Flagship Stores' across Europe. Comparable as a vertically integrated coffee roaster expanding into cafe retail.
- Dunkin': US-based coffee and baked goods chain now under Inspire Brands. Comparable as a high-volume coffee and snack chain targeting commuters and travelers with a value-oriented model.
- Starbucks: Global coffee chain leader with locations across Germany. Direct competitor in urban coffee shops and at airport locations (e.g., Frankfurt, Düsseldorf). Most recognized benchmark for coffee chain unit economics.
Emerging players
- Balzac Coffee: German specialty coffee chain with franchise model. Comparable as a smaller German coffee chain competitor with similar franchise-led expansion and urban cafe positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Coffee Fellows social profiles
Digital presenceCoffee Fellows compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Coffee Fellows financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coffee Fellows leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Coffee Fellows funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coffee Fellows 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 Coffee Fellows
What does Coffee Fellows do?
Coffee Fellows operates a chain of coffee shops serving espresso-based beverages, hot drinks, bagels, snacks, overnight oats, sweets, and retail coffee beans, complemented by an integrated hotel concept combining coffeeshops with hotel accommodations. The company operates 260+ retail locations across Germany and internationally (airports, highway rest stops, train stations, urban centers), 13 hybrid hotels, an online shop for home-brewing beans, and a mobile loyalty app with bean-collection rewards.
Is Coffee Fellows a public or private company?
Coffee Fellows is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Coffee Fellows founded?
Coffee Fellows was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Coffee Fellows based?
Coffee Fellows is headquartered in Unterföhring, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Coffee Fellows make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Coffee Shop Sales are the primary driver. The others are hotel Accommodations, online Merchandise and franchise & Lease Model.
Who are Coffee Fellows's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are McCafé, Segafredo Zanetti Espresso, Espresso House and Café del Sol. Broad incumbents are Costa Coffee, Tchibo, Lavazza, Dunkin' and Starbucks. Balzac Coffee is listed as an emerging player.
Does Coffee Fellows have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coffee Fellows.
What industry is Coffee Fellows in?
Coffee Fellows's product category is Coffee Shop & Hospitality Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAB, Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes, with a secondary code of THAFADAE, Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes). Its NAICS code is 722515 and its SIC code is 5810.