Name

Red Whale Coffee

Legal name

Red Whale Coffee

Website

https://www.redwhalecoffee.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Red Whale Coffee is a coffee shop that sources and sells roasted coffee, brewing equipment, and drinkware.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasting & Grinding (AFAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Coffee bean retail
• Brewing equipment
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Coffee education services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coffee Product Sales: Direct sales of roasted coffee beans to consumers and wholesale customers. Offers single origin coffees, house blends, and decaf options in various sizes. Revenue from online orders and retail locations.
2. Brewing Equipment & Accessories: Sales of coffee brewing equipment including grinders (Baratza, Hario), Chemex, AeroPress, pour-over equipment, kettles, and accessories.
3. Apparel & Merchandise: Branded apparel including aprons, t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, and embroidered patches.
4. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold in various denominations from $5 to $100.
5. Private Coffee Cupping Services: Private coffee cupping experiences offered as group events for up to 15 people, providing education and team building.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Red Whale Coffee sources green coffee directly from multi-regional specialty producers and roasts it at its San Rafael, California facility using a proprietary culinary-inspired "cooking" methodology developed by Master Roaster Sean Boyd. It sells the resulting roasted coffee (house blends, single origins, decaf, seasonal holiday blends) to consumers via e-commerce, a retail coffee bar, and farmers markets, and to businesses via a wholesale program. The company also retails complementary third-party brewing equipment, drinkware, apparel, and gift cards, and offers paid private cupping events and onsite chef education/training services.

Product overview

Red Whale Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster and retailer based in Marin County, California, founded in 2003. The company offers a portfolio of products organized around three main categories: (1) Premium roasted coffee including signature house blends (Red Whale 415 Roast, Red Whale Espresso - Gold Medal Award winner) and single-origin coffees from Guatemala, Mexico, and other global regions; (2) Brewing equipment and accessories including Baratza grinders (Encore, Forte, Vario, Vario-W, Virtuoso+), Chemex, Hario V60 drippers, scales, and kettles; and (3) Branded merchandise, drinkware, and cleaning supplies. The company operates retail locations (Red Whale Coffee Bar, Farmers Market booth) and provides wholesale, private cupping events, and chef education services. Their coffee roasting methodology is referred to as 'cooking' rather than roasting, emphasizing culinary technique.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STAGG EKG+ Electric Pour-Over Kettle Electric pour-over kettle with variable temperature control, designed for precision coffee brewing, available in matte black.
• Red Whale 415 Roast (House Blend) Red Whale's signature house blend combining Sumatra and Mexican coffees, roasted at 415°F to a sweet, spicy, chocolatey profile with red fruit notes; available in 12oz, 1lb, and 2lb sizes for individual consumers and wholesale customers.
• Red Whale Espresso Blend Gold Medal National Award-winning espresso blend in a traditional Italian style, with rich sweet chocolate, caramel, light fruit notes, and a lingering velvety mouthfeel with outstanding crema; sold to consumers and wholesale cafe customers.
• Red Whale 415 Decaf Swiss Water decaffeinated version of the 415 house blend, retaining the sweet, spicy, chocolate and red-fruit character without caffeine.
• Red Whale Espresso Decaf Swiss Water decaffeinated espresso blend in a traditional Italian style, with sweet chocolate and caramel notes and a lingering mouthfeel, designed for decaf-drinking espresso customers.
• Mexico Mountain Water Decaf Single Origin Single origin Mexican coffee decaffeinated using the mountain water process, sold in 12oz, 1lb, and 2lb sizes with a rich cup of cinnamon and chocolate tones.
• Guatemala Santa Felisa Geisha Single Origin Single origin washed Geisha varietal from the four-generation Santa Felisa Farm in Acatenango, Guatemala (cup score 80+), light-bodied with smooth acidity, sold in 12oz and 1lb sizes.
• Guatemala Santa Felisa Red Typica Single Origin Single origin Red Typica varietal from Santa Felisa Farm in Guatemala at 4,900 ft elevation, with a sweet, tangy, bright cup profile featuring light fruit, caramel, chocolate, kiwi, pear, and hazelnut notes.
• Regional Coffee Collection (Multi-Origin Single Origins) Curated assortment of specialty-grade single origin coffees sourced from multiple global regions (Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, South America, Africa, Asia), available in various sizes for consumers exploring origin diversity.
• Red Whale 2021 Holiday Blend Seasonal 2021/22 Holiday Blend from Master Roaster Sean Boyd, featuring chocolate, fruit, and spice notes in a deep, full-bodied complex cup, released for the winter holiday season.
• Red Whale Holiday Blend 2023 2023 seasonal Holiday Blend with peppermint and chocolate notes, released annually for the winter holiday season.
• Baratza Encore Conical Burr Grinder Entry-level conical burr grinder with 40 individual grind settings, European-manufactured 40mm burrs, and a DC motor for cool, quiet operation, suitable for manual brew and espresso at home.
• Baratza Forte Grinder Touchscreen grinder with two grind modes (by time and by weight), 54mm flat ceramic burrs, and a 5 lb/day capacity, suitable for commercial or home espresso.
• Baratza Vario Grinder Professional-grade grinder with 230 distinct grind settings, 54mm ceramic flat burrs, a digital control panel with three programmable buttons, and macro/micro adjustment for espresso through French press.
• Baratza Vario-W Grinder Weight-based grinding grinder with a built-in precision load cell that weighs grounds within 0.1 grams during grinding, combining the Vario's 230 grind settings with real-time weight-based dosing.
• Baratza Virtuoso+ Grinder Professional-grade 40mm conical burr grinder with 40 grind settings, a 60-second timer, and LED screen, producing consistent grinds from fine espresso to coarse French press.
• Chemex Pour-Over Coffee Maker Classic pour-over coffee maker in non-porous Borosilicate glass, available in 3-cup, 6-cup, 8-cup, and 10-cup sizes, with a simple, elegant design that does not absorb odors or chemical residues.
• Hario V60 Glass Pour-Over Dripper Manual pour-over style coffee dripper with spiral ribs that allow user control over flow, timing, and temperature, available in size 01 (1–2 cups) and size 02 (1–4 cups) in glass and ceramic variants.
• Hario Drip Scale with Timer Digital scale that simultaneously measures coffee beans, hot water, and extraction time in 0.1 gram increments, with a built-in drip timer for managing bloom times.
• Able Disk Metal Filter for AeroPress (Fine) Reusable metal disk filter for AeroPress brewers, one-third the thickness of the standard filter, producing a sweet, clean cup with minimal sediment as an eco-friendly alternative to paper filters.
• Rhinowares Compact Hand Grinder Compact hand grinder with an AeroPress adapter, designed as a portable option for travel brewing.
• Melitta Travel Mug with Pour-Over Filter Travel mug with a built-in pour-over cone, allowing users to brew fresh coffee directly into the mug on the go.
• Red Whale 16oz Stainless Insulated Travel Mug 16oz double-insulated stainless steel travel mug with a 360-degree pop-up lid that keeps beverages hot or cold, featuring the Red Whale logo on both sides.
• Plum Bottom Snifter (Coffee Aroma Glass) Glass snifter designed for serving and appreciating coffee aromatics.
• Cafetto Professional Coffee Equipment Cleaners Professional-grade organic cleaners for coffee equipment, including Grinder Clean, Evo Espresso Machine Cleaner, MFC Milk Frother Cleaner, and Brew Clean Tablets, targeted at cafes and serious home users.
• Cafetto @home Coffee Equipment Cleaners Home-use line of eco-friendly coffee equipment cleaners, including Grinder Cleaner, Liquid Descaler, Milk Frother cleaner, and Espresso Clean, sized for domestic machines.
• Red Whale Coffee Gift Card Digital gift card redeemable online only, available in fixed denominations of $5, $10, $20, $25, $50, $75, and $100, for purchasing coffee, equipment, apparel, and accessories.
• Red Whale Apparel and Merchandise Branded apparel and merchandise including aprons, t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts in styles such as Butcher Cut, Surfer, and Determined, plus embroidered patches, sold online and at the Coffee Bar.
• Private Coffee Cupping Experience Hosted private coffee tasting and educational experience for groups of up to 15 people ($375 for up to 10, $450 for 11–15), covering coffee origins, roasting, and flavor profiles, used for team building and customer education.
• Wholesale Coffee Program B2B wholesale supply program for restaurants, cafes, and corporate customers, providing Red Whale roasted coffee with dedicated account support and custom partnership solutions.
• Chef Education and Onsite Training Event-driven onsite training service in which Red Whale brings a portable cupping lab to restaurant, chef, and business locations for educational sessions on varietals, origins, roasting, and hands-on cupping, used to support wholesale relationships and staff training.
• Red Whale Coffee Bar (Retail Takeaway) Walk-in retail coffee bar at 169 Paul Drive, San Rafael, offering takeaway coffee drinks, in-house baked pastries, single origin coffees, cold brew, and retail products in a hip, bright setting with rock-and-roll memorabilia.
• Marin County Civic Centre Farmers Market Booth Weekly Sunday booth at the Marin County Civic Centre Farmers Market (3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, 8:00 am–1:00 pm) for direct-to-consumer coffee and merchandise sales.

Quantifiable outcome

• Only serves specialty-graded coffee (scores 80+)

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Bay Area-born specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with similar third-wave positioning, single-origin focus, and direct-trade sourcing. Acquired by Nestlé for $425M, representing the venture-backed scale Red Whale operates against.
• Ritual Coffee Roasters: San Francisco specialty roaster with parallel commitment to direct-trade sourcing, quality-focused roasting, and cafe-retail hybrid model. Comparable size and Bay Area regional focus to Red Whale.
• Equator Coffees: Marin County-based specialty roaster operating cafes and wholesale program in the Bay Area. Direct geographic competitor with overlapping customer base and similar premium positioning.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: California specialty roaster with cafe-retail hybrid model, single-origin focus, and farm-direct relationships. Similar craft-roasting identity and wholesale-to-restaurant business.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty roaster renowned for education-driven model including cuppings, training programs, and sustainability focus. Closely parallels Red Whale's Chef Education initiative and direct-trade philosophy.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty roaster with strong direct-trade sourcing and cafe/wholesale model. Acquired by Peet's/LJ Roth, representing scaled competition in the craft coffee category.
• Philz Coffee: Bay Area specialty coffee company with cafe-retail model and unique preparation methodology. Raised significant venture capital ($75M+), illustrating the capital scale Red Whale competes without.
• Sightglass Coffee: San Francisco specialty roaster with cafe/roastery hybrid locations and focus on direct-trade transparency. Comparable independent craft roaster profile to Red Whale.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based specialty roaster with pioneering direct-trade program and strong barista training/education focus. Similar craft-roasting identity and commitment to quality standards Red Whale maintains.

Broad incumbents

• Peet's Coffee: Large established specialty coffee company founded in Berkeley with national wholesale and retail footprint. Acquired Stumptown, representing broader incumbent competition in the premium coffee category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/redwhalecoffee
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0X3hHxaaKHPo9-w4fSvImQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Red-Whale-Coffee/1436821296531586
• Instagraminstagram.com/redwhalecoffee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Red Whale Coffee