Coffee Emporium

What Coffee Emporium does

Coffee Emporium is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator founded in 1973. The company operates two cafe retail locations (Hyde Park, opened 1973, and Over-the-Rhine, opened 2002), a dedicated Roasting Haus in Over-the-Rhine where coffee is roasted in small batches, and a kitchen production facility in Norwood for baked goods and catering meals. Core products include single origin coffees sourced directly from farmers across Central and South America, Africa, and Indonesia, alongside signature blends, flavored coffees, decaf varieties, bourbon barrel-aged coffee, and a tea selection. The company emphasizes direct trade sourcing relationships with named smallholder farmers and women-owned cooperatives (Kokowagayo, Café Femenino, IWCA), and holds Rainforest Alliance certifications for select origins.

The business operates across multiple revenue streams. Direct-to-consumer sales flow through the two cafes, an e-commerce storefront, and a subscription service delivering coffee biweekly or monthly starting at $14 per shipment. A wholesale program supplies freshly roasted coffee to hotels, restaurants, and offices along with equipment and training. A mobile catering operation, launched in 1996 and now operating four espresso carts and two cold brew carts, serves corporate events, weddings, and private parties across Greater Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Indianapolis, Lexington, and Louisville, with espresso cart pricing starting at $600 per two-hour event. Branded merchandise, gift cards, and cold brew beverages complete the product mix. The company is privately held and remains family-owned, with no institutional investment, parent company, or public listing disclosed.

Name

Coffee Emporium

Legal name

Coffee Emporium

Website

https://coffee-emporium.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coffee Emporium is a Cincinnati-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator founded in 1973, serving individual consumers, wholesale hospitality accounts, and event clients across the Midwest through two cafes, small-batch direct trade roasting, subscriptions, and mobile espresso catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roastery & Café

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Direct trade coffee
• Coffee subscriptions
• Mobile espresso catering
• Wholesale coffee supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee Sales: Direct sale of roasted coffee beans through two cafe locations and e-commerce website. Offers single origin, signature blends, flavored, decaf, and barrel-aged coffees in various sizes.
2. Coffee Subscriptions: Recurring subscription service delivering coffee every two weeks or monthly. Options include single origin, blends, decaf, flavored, and OBM espresso subscriptions at $14 per shipment.
3. Wholesale Coffee: Full-service wholesaler supplying freshly roasted coffee to hotels, restaurants, offices, and other businesses. Includes equipment setup, training, and ongoing support.
4. Espresso Catering: Mobile espresso catering service for events. Revenue generated from hourly/event-based pricing starting at $600 for 2 hours, with options for espresso carts, cold brew carts, smoothie carts, and self-serve beverages.
5. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel, mugs, brewing supplies, and Charley Harper collaboration items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Coffee Emporium roasts specialty coffee in small batches at its Roasting Haus in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, and sells it directly through two café locations, an e-commerce store, subscription home delivery, and wholesale channels. The company also operates the longest-running espresso catering service in Cincinnati via mobile carts and supplies freshly roasted coffee with equipment and training to hotels, restaurants, and offices.

Product overview

Coffee Emporium is a Cincinnati-based specialty coffee roastery and café chain offering a diversified portfolio of products and services. The core business centers on direct-trade specialty coffee roasted in small batches at their Over-the-Rhine Roasting Haus, available as single origin, signature blends, flavored, decaf, and barrel-aged varieties. The company operates two café locations (Hyde Park and Over-the-Rhine) and provides catering services through mobile espresso, cold brew, and smoothie carts for events. Additional offerings include tea, coffee subscriptions (biweekly and monthly), wholesale programs for businesses, gift cards, and branded merchandise including apparel, mugs, and brewing equipment. The company emphasizes direct trade relationships with farmers and sustainability certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Origin Coffee

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 years of continuous operation as a small, independent, locally owned business
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Café Tío ConejocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian importer and producer team that visited OTR café in October 2021, micro-roasting coffees on-site. Coffee Emporium purchased two coffees including Chamí and Rosa Borbón directly from them. Close working relationship with producer Felipe Aristizabal and Wilton Benitez.
• Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity (CCRE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization working to advance racial equity across the coffee industry from producers to roasters to cafes through education, advocacy, and representation. 50% of proceeds from CCRE x CE collaboration t-shirts donated to the coalition.
• Kokowagayo CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen-owned and women-managed coffee cooperative in Aceh Province, Indonesia with 567 farmer members from seven villages. Part of Café Femenino framework. Grant money used for leadership training and community center.
• IWCA (International Women's Coffee Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen-owned cooperative sourcing for Rwanda Rambagira. Women practice basket weaving during off-season for additional income generation.
• Rainforest AllianceminorOthersCertification body for sustainable farming practices. Costa Rica Hacienda La Minita and Rwanda Rambagira are Rainforest Alliance certified.
• MiiRminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCollaboration on limited-edition Botanical Travelers product line featuring holiday-inspired designs blending festive folk-art botanicals with everyday function.
• Café FemeninominorOthersSupply chain framework that gives women farmers credit for their crucial roles in the coffee industry. Kokowagayo is part of Café Femenino.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster with direct trade sourcing, multiple cafes, and wholesale program. Highly comparable as a third-wave coffee brand operating cafes, e-commerce, subscriptions, and B2B wholesale with a similar small-batch artisanal positioning.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator focused on direct trade relationships and single-origin transparency. Closely aligned with Coffee Emporium's sourcing philosophy and product mix, with comparable cafe-retail and wholesale channels.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster with sustainability focus, direct trade sourcing, training programs, and wholesale distribution. Comparable business model with cafe support, education, and B2B wholesale alongside retail coffee sales.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster with multiple cafes, wholesale program, and DTC subscription service including ready-to-drink draft lattes. Direct competitor in the third-wave cafe and DTC subscription space.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Specialty third-wave coffee roaster and cafe chain with strong DTC and subscription business. Comparable in product positioning (single-origin, freshness-focused) but operates at materially larger scale and brand recognition.
• Vermilion Coffee Co. Cincinnati-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe. Direct local competitor operating in the same geographic market with overlapping cafe, wholesale, and DTC offerings.

Regional players

• Colectivo Coffee: Midwest specialty coffee roaster based in Milwaukee operating multiple cafes, wholesale, and subscriptions. Highly comparable Midwestern regional roaster-cafe hybrid with similar product breadth and direct-trade ethos.
• Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea: Ohio-based specialty coffee roaster operating cafes and a wholesale program serving the Midwest. Direct regional competitor sharing the Ohio/Midwest geography with overlapping wholesale and cafe offerings.
• Kaldi's Coffee Roasting: St. Louis-based specialty coffee roaster with cafes, wholesale, and catering services. Comparable Midwestern specialty roaster-cafe with similar multi-channel model including mobile espresso catering.

Broad incumbents

• Caribou Coffee: Established regional coffee chain with cafes and wholesale/grocery presence, headquartered in Minnesota. Comparable cafe-plus-retail model in the Midwest with broader geographic footprint and grocery distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/coffee_emporium
• Xx.com/coffee_emporium
• Facebookfacebook.com/Coffee.Emporium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/javajive

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 Coffee Emporium