J.J.Darboven

What J.J.Darboven does

J.J. Darboven GmbH & Co. KG is a fourth-generation, family-owned producer and supplier of hot beverages (coffee, tea, and cocoa) headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, founded in 1866. The company operates 15 locations across 9 European countries (Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Netherlands, Austria, France, Ireland, and the UK via partnership) and serves professional B2B customers — including hotels, restaurants and cafés, bakeries and bistros, offices, communal catering, and vending operators — through a dedicated field-sales motion and the J.J. Darboven Professional platform. It also sells branded products direct-to-consumers via owned e-commerce storefronts (darboven-kaffee.de, eshop.darboven.sk).

Name

J.J.Darboven

Legal name

J.J. Darboven GmbH & Co KG

Website

https://darboven.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1866

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The portfolio spans 12+ sub-brands across coffee (EILLES KAFFEE, IDEE KAFFEE, Café Intención, Alfredo Espresso, Mövenpick, J.J. Darboven Classics, Alberto, Brosio, Eighty9, J. Hornig), tea (EILLES TEE), and cocoa (COCAYA), supported by proprietary roasting expertise dating to 1873 and complemented by professional coffee equipment (lever, automatic, and filter systems) and full-service B2B solutions including consulting, barista training, and service support. Revenue is generated through product sales to professional accounts, equipment sales, B2C e-commerce, and professional services; pricing is quote-based and segmented by customer requirements, with payment terms of 2% discount within 10 days and net 21 days. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding rounds, Albert Darboven and Jens Brockmann serve as Managing Directors, and the business emphasizes sustainability through Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certifications, the Café Intención Shade Tree Project, and Science Based Targets alignment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coffee and Hot Beverages

NAICS

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

SIC

Beverages (2080), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing (AFAFADAD), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Coffee roasting
• Tea and cocoa
• Professional beverage equipment
• Hot beverage solutions
• Branded coffee products

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. B2B Product Sales: Production and distribution of branded coffee, tea, and cocoa products to professional customers including restaurants, hotels, bakeries, communal catering, and retail businesses. Products include EILLES KAFFEE, Café Intención, IDEE KAFFEE, Mövenpick Kaffee, J.J. Darboven Classics, Alberto, and others.
2. B2C Retail Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through e-commerce platforms and retail channels for branded coffee and beverage products.
3. Professional Solutions Services: Consulting, training, and service offerings for business customers including machine concepts, coffee expertise advice, barista training, and beverage concept development.
4. Technology and Equipment Sales: Sale and provision of professional coffee equipment including lever espresso machines, automatic coffee machines, and filter coffee systems along with accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

J.J. Darboven is a fourth-generation family business that produces and distributes branded coffee, tea, and cocoa specialties. It supplies professional customers in gastronomy, hotels, offices, bakeries, and retail with hot beverage products, equipment, consulting, and service, while also selling to consumers through e-commerce.

Product overview

J.J. Darboven is a fourth-generation family business established in 1866, specializing in hot beverages (coffee, tea, and cocoa) with operations throughout Europe. The company operates as a comprehensive hot beverage solutions provider rather than a single product, combining branded products with professional B2B services. The product portfolio includes multiple sub-brands across three core categories: Coffee brands (EILLES KAFFEE, IDEE KAFFEE, Café Intención, Alfredo espresso, Alberto, Brosio, Eighty9, J.J. Darboven Classics, J.J. Darboven Classics Verde, J. Hornig, Mövenpick), Tea (EILLES TEE), and Cocoa (COCAYA). The company also offers Technology & Accessories including lever coffee machines, automatic coffee machines, filtered coffee systems, and other professional equipment. Professional solutions encompass consulting services, staff training, technology provision, and service dispatch support, all delivered through the J.J. Darboven Professional B2B platform with 15 company locations across 9 countries. Sustainability initiatives include Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified products, shade tree projects, and Science Based Targets commitments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alfredo Espresso: Italian joie de vivre coffee brand
• Café Intención
• IDEE KAFFEE
• EILLES TEE
• COCAYA
• Alberto
• Brosio
• Eighty9
• EILLES KAFFEE
• J.J. Darboven Classics
• J.J. Darboven Classics Verde
• Mövenpick Kaffee
• J. Hornig

Products and services

• EILLES KAFFEE Premium coffee brand featuring roasting expertise since 1873, offering coffee compositions that combine tradition and modernity.
• IDEE KAFFEE Innovative coffee brand offering special mildness and modern coffee varieties.
• Café Intención Fair trade coffee brand offering ethically sourced moments of pleasure, featuring shade tree sustainability projects with local coffee farmers.
• Alfredo Espresso Italian-style coffee brand bringing Italian joie de vivre to the portfolio.
• Alberto Coffee brand with stylish brand identity featuring script typography.
• Brosio Coffee brand included in the portfolio.
• Eighty9 Modern coffee brand offering contemporary coffee varieties.
• J.J. Darboven Classics Classic coffee range representing the heritage brand established in 1866.
• J.J. Darboven Classics Verde Sustainable variant of the classic coffee range with environmental focus.
• Mövenpick Kaffee Premium Swiss hospitality and gourmet coffee brand experience.
• EILLES TEE Premium tea brand featuring aromatic variety, established with roasting expertise tradition since 1873.
• COCAYA Modern cocoa compositions offering chocolate-flavored beverage options.
• Lever Coffee Machines Traditional lever-operated espresso machines for professional use in hospitality settings.
• Automatic Coffee Machines Automated coffee brewing equipment for consistent, high-volume coffee preparation in professional environments.
• Filtered Coffee Systems Filtered coffee brewing technology and equipment for professional catering and hospitality.
• J.J. Darboven Professional Comprehensive B2B solutions platform providing professional coffee, tea and cocoa concepts with consulting, technology, and service support for restaurants, hotels, bakeries, offices and retail.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• J. HornigcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJ. Hornig operates as a key market partner for J.J. Darboven in Austria, providing local distribution and market presence for the hot beverages portfolio. The partnership extends J.J. Darboven's geographic reach into the Austrian market through an established local operator.
• Café Du MondecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCafé Du Monde serves as the market partner for J.J. Darboven in the United Kingdom, enabling distribution and presence in the British market through their established retail and distribution network.
• Rainforest AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRainforest Alliance certification partnership ensuring sustainable sourcing practices and environmental responsibility in coffee supply chains. Products bearing the Rainforest Alliance seal demonstrate commitment to sustainable farming and biodiversity conservation.
• FairtradecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairtrade certification partnership for Café Intención brand ensuring fair prices, fair labor conditions, and community development support for coffee farmers in producing countries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lavazza: Italian family-owned coffee roaster producing branded coffee products for both B2B (horeca) and B2C channels across Europe. Directly comparable in product mix, multi-brand strategy, and out-of-home focus.
• Melitta Group: German family-owned coffee and filter-products company serving both retail and foodservice customers. Highly comparable as a family-run German coffee business with deep European B2B/B2C presence.
• Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group: Italian privately-held coffee group owning brands such as Segafredo Zanetti and operating a global B2B/B2C coffee platform. Comparable in multi-brand portfolio, roasting scale, and foodservice channel focus.
• Pellini Caffè: Italian coffee roaster producing branded espresso and B2B solutions for horeca across Europe. Comparable mid-sized European coffee manufacturer with a similar product and customer mix.
• Kimbo: Neapolitan family-owned coffee roaster serving retail and foodservice channels across Europe. Comparable in family-ownership structure, brand-led portfolio, and horeca concentration.
• Tchibo: German family-influenced coffee company operating branded retail coffee and B2B solutions across Central Europe. Comparable German-speaking market focus, multi-channel go-to-market, and broad consumer brand portfolio.

Regional players

• Paulig: Finnish family-owned coffee and food company with strong Nordic and Baltic retail and foodservice presence. Comparable family-business model and multi-channel coffee focus, though primarily Nordic rather than Central European.
• Löfbergs: Swedish family-owned coffee roaster with strong sustainability profile serving retail and B2B customers across Northern Europe. Comparable family-business heritage and ESG-driven positioning.

Broad incumbents

• JDE Peet's: Global coffee and tea group operating brands like Jacobs, Douwe Egberts, Peet's, and L'OR across retail and out-of-home. Comparable as a coffee and tea manufacturer with overlapping B2B and B2C channels, but at far greater scale and with public-market capital.
• Nestlé Nespresso: Global coffee major operating Nespresso and Nescafé branded systems including professional out-of-home solutions. Comparable in B2B beverage solutions, but with vastly greater scale and a proprietary capsule platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHVOK9Dyu4CngtnLy2HICVg
• Facebookfacebook.com/jjdarboven
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jjdarbovenholding
• Instagraminstagram.com/jj_darboven
• Xx.com/jjdarbovenie

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 J.J.Darboven