What Bongo Java Roasting does

Bongo Java Roasting Company, founded March 28, 1993 by Bob Bernstein, is a Nashville-based specialty coffee roaster and multi-cafe operator. Its core business is the roasting and sale of 100% USDA Organic, Fair Trade certified coffee, with single-origin offerings from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Indonesia, alongside signature blends (Mystic Brew, Bongo Blend, Espresso Blend), decaf variants, barrel-aged SKUs (Uncle Nearest Whiskey Barrel Aged), and a subscription-only Roaster's Choice rotation. The company is a founding member of Cooperative Coffees, a 24-member micro-roaster importing collective that has purchased over $150 million of green coffee across 20+ years and currently imports more than 5 million pounds annually, providing direct-trade sourcing that is central to its value proposition. Distribution runs through a Shopify-based national e-commerce store (with Stripe and PayPal checkout, Klaviyo email/SMS marketing, Google Analytics, and Meta Pixel), a wholesale program with private label options, and seven owned retail locations across Nashville: Bongo Belmont (the original coffeehouse), Fido Cafe, Gamepoint X Bongo (a board game cafe partnership with Tennessee Game Days), Grins Vegetarian Cafe (a Vanderbilt partnership), Bongo BNA Concourse C, Bongo at BNA Satellite Concourse, and the East Nashville roasting facility at 372 Herron Drive.

Name

Bongo Java Roasting

Legal name

Bongo Java Roasting Company

Website

https://bongojava.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bongo Java Roasting Company is a Nashville-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator founded in 1993, serving individual consumers, offices, and wholesale partners with 100% USDA Organic, Fair Trade certified coffee through e-commerce, subscriptions, and seven owned Nashville locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roastery

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Organic coffee wholesale
• Coffee subscription service
• Fair trade coffee sourcing
• Specialty coffee cafes

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of whole bean coffee, ground coffee, and ready-to-drink products through e-commerce and cafe locations. Includes single origin, blends, decaf, and specialty offerings.
2. Subscription Services: Recurring coffee subscriptions offering 10% discount with free shipping. Options include home delivery and office subscriptions in various sizes. Customers can customize grind, frequency, and coffee selection.
3. Foodservice and Cafe Operations: On-site food and beverage sales at multiple Nashville cafe locations including breakfast, lunch, and all-day menus.
4. Wholesale: B2B coffee sales to restaurants, offices, and retailers. Includes private label options for qualified partners.
5. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including mugs, tumblers, apparel, and coffee brewing equipment accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bongo Java Roasting is a specialty coffee roaster and multi-location cafe operator that roasts and sells 100% USDA Organic certified coffee (single origins, signature blends, decaf, barrel-aged, and cause-related coffees) sourced through the Cooperative Coffees importing collective. The company reaches customers through a Shopify e-commerce store with home and office subscription programs, a B2B wholesale/private-label program, and seven physical cafe locations across Nashville including Bongo Belmont, Fido Cafe, Gamepoint X Bongo board game cafe, Grins Vegetarian Cafe, and BNA airport concessions.

Product overview

Bongo Java Roasting is a Nashville-based specialty coffee company founded in 1993, operating as a unified portfolio of products and services centered on 100% USDA Organic certified coffee. The core offering consists of single origin coffees sourced from small-scale farms globally (Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Nicaragua, Mexico, Indonesia) and signature blends (Mystic Brew, Bongo Blend, Espresso Blend), supplemented by decaf options, barrel-aged specialty coffees, and a rotating Roaster's Choice subscription. The product line extends to tea (Rishi collection), chocolate, and brewing equipment (Fellow grinders and kettles, Hario V60, AeroPress). Bongo offers direct-to-consumer subscriptions (Subscribe & Save, Office Subscriptions), B2B wholesale with private label options, bulk catering, and operates multiple physical cafe locations across Nashville including Bongo Belmont, Fido Cafe, and Gamepoint X Bongo. Specialty cause products include Grounds for Innocence (supporting Innocence Project) and 10 for TENN (Tennessee community support).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fido Cafe: Nashville neighborhood cafe named after the dog who discovered coffee, located in Hillsboro Village.
• Grins Vegetarian Cafe
• Game Point Cafe

Products and services

• Single Origin Coffees 100% USDA Organic single-origin coffees sourced from small-scale farms globally, including Natural Sidama (Ethiopia), Washed Sidama (Ethiopia), Yirgacheffe (Ethiopia), Chajulense (Guatemala), Dark Guatemala, Marcala (Honduras), Dark Peru, Light Peru (Peru Cajamarca/Cenfrocafe), Las Diosas (Nicaragua), Mexico Finca Triunfo Verde, and Gayo Mountain (Sumatra). Sold as 12oz to 5lb sizes for home brewing and office use.
• Signature Blends (Mystic Brew, Bongo Blend, Espresso Blend) House signature blends: Mystic Brew (raisin, caramel, nougat), Bongo Blend (brown sugar, nutty, dried cherry, medium roast), and Espresso Blend (light roast, cherry/tobacco/hazelnut, Ethiopia/Peru/Bolivia). Versatile across brew methods.
• Cold Brew Blend Dark roast blend specifically crafted for cold brew extraction with notes of fudge, fruity, and nutty flavors.
• Decaf Coffees (Dark Decaf, Light Decaf, Decaf Espresso) 100% USDA Organic decaf options including Dark Decaf (brown sugar, molasses, tobacco), Light Decaf (clove, raisin, cinnamon), and Decaf Espresso (brown sugar, cinnamon, stone fruit).
• Hair of the Dog Blend Specialty blend with tasting notes of stone fruit, shortbread, and honey.
• 10 for TENN Blend Special blend supporting Tennessee communities in partnership with TennGreen.
• Grounds for Innocence Blend Special blend supporting the Innocence Project and Tennessee Innocence Project, with 15% of proceeds donated. Tasting notes of honey, orange, milk chocolate, and spices.
• Uncle Nearest Whiskey Barrel Aged Coffee Bourbon barrel aged coffee with notes of crème brûlée, toasted oats, and baked apple. Contains no alcohol.
• Coffee Subscriptions (Subscribe & Save) Recurring home coffee delivery program offering 10% off every order with free shipping, flexible pause/skip/adjust, and online portal management. Options from 12oz single bags to 5lb bulk. Includes Roaster's Choice (subscription-only rotating single origin or blend).
• Office Coffee Subscriptions Bulk coffee subscription service for offices and workplaces, offering sizes from 12oz to 5lb bags with 20% discount and free shipping on orders over $55. Includes compostable coffee pods compatible with single-serve brewing systems.
• Coffee Bundles (Single Origin Trio, Blend Trio) Three-bag bundles featuring single origins from Latin America, Indonesia, and Africa (Single Origin Trio) or three signature blends (Blend Trio) for customers exploring the full range of offerings.
• Bongo E-Gift Card Digital gift cards available in configurable denominations from $25 for gifting coffee and merchandise.
• Rishi Tea Collection Premium organic tea line including chamomile, earl grey, english breakfast, jasmine, masala chai, matcha, peppermint, turmeric ginger, and blueberry hibiscus sachets.
• Chocolate Bar Sampler Three-pack sampler of craft chocolate bars available at $28.95.
• Brewing Equipment (Fellow, Hario, AeroPress) Retail brewing equipment including Fellow Opus Conical Burr Grinder ($195), Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Kettle ($180), Hario V60 Drip Decanter, Hario Cafe Press, Hario Polaris Scale ($85), Hario V60 Filters, AeroPress Coffee Maker ($40), AeroPress Paper Micro-Filters (350-count), Chemex Filters, and compostable coffee pods.
• Bongo Merchandise Branded apparel and accessories including t-shirts, hoodies, crew necks, hats, mugs, tumblers, and travel mugs. Includes Grounds for Innocence cause merchandise (mugs, totes, gift sets) with 15% of proceeds donated to the Innocence Project and Tennessee Innocence Project.
• Bulk Coffee Catering Bulk coffee catering service for events with disposable boxes (96oz serves 12, 160oz serves 20) and Cambro systems (2.5gal serves 40, 5gal serves 80), including cups and supplies.
• Wholesale Program B2B wholesale program for cafes, restaurants, and retailers offering private label options and direct purchasing relationships. Inquiries via [email protected].
• Cafe Locations Physical cafe locations in Nashville including Bongo Belmont (123 Main Street, Mon-Fri 7am-3pm), Gamepoint X Bongo (107 S 11th St, board game cafe, Mon-Fri 7am-10pm), Fido Cafe (1812 21st Ave S, neighborhood cafe, Mon-Sun 7am-4pm), Bongo BNA Concourse C (Nashville International Airport), Bongo at BNA Satellite Concourse, and Grins Vegetarian Cafe (Nashville's oldest vegetarian and first certified kosher restaurant, operated in partnership with Vanderbilt University since 1998). On-site food and beverage service including all-day breakfast and lunch.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 million+ pounds of coffee imported annually through Cooperative Coffees network
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cooperative CoffeescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Bongo helped start Cooperative Coffees in 1999, a co-op of micro-roasters that buys directly from small-scale coffee farmers. The cooperative now has 24 members who together import more than 5 million pounds of certified organic and fair trade coffee each year. Bongo is a founding member and active participant in this cooperative importing model.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty coffee roaster with direct trade sourcing, DTC subscriptions, wholesale, and multiple cafe locations. Closely comparable in product mix (specialty coffee + cafes) and ethical sourcing positioning.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster focused on sustainability, direct trade, and education, with wholesale and cafe/drip bar presence. Comparable in values-driven organic positioning and B2B/wholesale go-to-market.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based specialty roaster pioneering direct trade, with cafes and wholesale. Comparable in premium organic positioning, cafe + wholesale model, and traceability story.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Specialty coffee company with subscription, retail cafes, and wholesale. Highly comparable omnichannel model and premium positioning, though more national in scale.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: California-based specialty roaster with farm-level sourcing, multiple cafes, subscription DTC, and wholesale. Comparable in craft coffee, cafe-retail hybrid, and direct trade narrative.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster with extensive cafe footprint, wholesale, DTC subscriptions, and ready-to-drink products. Comparable in omnichannel coffee + cafe + wholesale model.

Emerging players

• Onyx Coffee Lab: Award-winning craft roaster with competitions pedigree, wholesale, and a flagship cafe. Comparable in small-batch specialty positioning, though younger and with narrower geographic reach.
• Heart Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty roaster with focus on direct trade, organic sourcing, and minimalist cafe experience. Comparable in values-driven organic positioning at smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• Peet's Coffee: Established national specialty coffee chain (JAB-owned) with deep coffee product line, subscriptions, and broad cafe/wholesale presence. Comparable as a broader incumbent competitor in the same category.

Regional players

• Dose Coffee (Nashville-area peer): Tennessee-based specialty roaster operating cafes, subscription, and wholesale. Comparable regional specialty competitor in Bongo's home market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BongoRoastingCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/BongoRoastingCo
• Instagraminstagram.com/bongoroastingco

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Bongo Java Roasting