Friedrichs Coffee

What Friedrichs Coffee does

Friedrichs Coffee is a family-owned artisan coffee roaster founded in 1991 by Gary and Colleen Meyer in Des Moines, Iowa, and currently operated by the founders and their four children. The company roasts specialty-grade coffee in small batches using gas-fired European drum style roasters at its Urbandale roastery, with beans roasted twice weekly and shipped same day. Its core product portfolio spans single origin coffees from 13+ countries, proprietary blends, espresso roasts, organic and Fairtrade certified lines, flavored coffees, K-Cups, specialty teas, and limited reserve offerings, supported by branded barista supplies, brewing equipment, and merchandise.

The business operates through four revenue streams: direct-to-consumer e-commerce (with a subscription service offering up to 20% savings), three company-owned retail coffee shops in the Des Moines metro (Urbandale, West Des Moines, Des Moines), wholesale distribution to cafes and restaurants, and a dedicated office coffee program for commercial accounts. Pricing on retail 12oz bags ranges from $17.15 for flavored coffees to $37.90 for Hawaii Kona, with a co-developed Templeton Rye Barrel Aged Blend priced up to $134.25 for a 5lb bag. Customer segments are diversified across individual home brewers, independent cafes and coffee shops, and office/commercial buyers.

The company holds multiple third-party certifications (USDA Organic, Rainforest Alliance, Bird Friendly, Fairtrade, Cup of Excellence) and sources green beans through a partnership with Minneapolis-based Cafe Imports, with the founders having direct relationships at the farm level in Costa Rica and other origins. Friedrichs maintains a multi-channel marketing presence through its blog, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, and participates in industry events such as CoffeeFest NYC and CoffeeFest Indianapolis. The business is privately held, self-funded (no funding rounds disclosed), with no AI or proprietary software capabilities evident in the current operating model.

Name

Friedrichs Coffee

Legal name

Friedrichs Coffee

Website

https://friedrichscoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friedrichs Coffee is a family-owned specialty coffee roaster founded in 1991 in Des Moines, Iowa, serving individual consumers, cafes, and offices through three retail shops, e-commerce with a subscription service, and wholesale distribution of small-batch roasted coffees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roaster

NAICS

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

SIC

Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAFADAJ

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing

Agriculture & Food Production/Beverage Production/Coffee & Tea Processing (Roasting, Blending, RTD)

SECONDARYTHAFADAE

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Cafes & Coffee Shops

SECONDARYCRAHAGAI

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories)

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Specialty Food Stores (Deli, Cheese, Gourmet, Bakery)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Office coffee service
• Coffee subscription service
• Single origin coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Urbandale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee & Tea Sales: Direct sales of freshly roasted whole bean coffees, teas, and related products through e-commerce and physical retail locations. Products include single origin coffees, blends, espresso, cold brew, flavored coffees, and specialty teas.
2. Coffee Subscriptions: Recurring subscription service offering up to 20% off retail prices. Customers can select up to 4 bags with customizable frequency. Friedrichs Favorites Subscription provides ongoing customer retention.
3. Wholesale Coffee: B2B wholesale distribution of coffee beans to cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants. Freshly roasted twice weekly with same-day shipping.
4. Office Coffee Solutions: Office coffee service providing coffee solutions for businesses, restaurants, and commercial establishments.
5. Merchandise & Gifts: Sale of branded merchandise including mugs, tumblers, apparel, gift cards, and gift collections.
6. Barista Supplies: Sale of barista supplies including alt milks, syrups, sauces, mixes, accessories, cups, and lids to wholesale and retail customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friedrichs Coffee is a small-batch artisan coffee roaster that sells freshly roasted specialty whole bean coffees, espresso, flavored coffees, decaf, organic, single origin, and limited reserve coffees, along with specialty teas, K-Cups, barista supplies, and brewing equipment. The company distributes these products through company-owned retail coffee shops in Iowa, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site with subscriptions, a B2B wholesale division serving cafes and restaurants, and an office coffee service.

Product overview

Friedrichs Coffee is a small batch artisan coffee roaster founded in 1991, operating as both a retail and wholesale coffee business. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio centered on freshly roasted whole bean coffees and specialty teas. The core offering spans single origin coffees from global growing regions, proprietary coffee blends, espresso roasts, organic certified coffees, and an extensive flavored coffee line. Supporting products include K-Cups, tea varieties, barista supplies (alternative milks, syrups, sauces), and brewing equipment. The company operates subscription services (Friedrichs Favorites), wholesale programs for cafes and offices, and three retail coffee shop locations in the Des Moines, Iowa metro area. A notable specialty collaboration is the Templeton Rye Barrel Aged Blend produced in partnership with Templeton Distillery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialty Coffee and Tea Retail Line
• Friedrichs Favorites Subscription
• Wholesale Coffee Program
• Office Coffee Solutions
• K-Cup Single-Serve Pods
• Barista Supplies
• Nuova Simonelli Espresso Machines
• Brewing Equipment (Chemex, AeroPress, Moccamaster)
• Gift Cards and Greeting Cards
• Branded Merchandise
• Templeton Rye Barrel Aged Blend
• Colombia — Lisandro Cárdenas — Finca Las Brisas (Single Origin)
• Kenya Karimikui AA — Kirinyaga (Single Origin)

Quantifiable outcome

• Coffee beans are freshly roasted twice a week and shipped same day
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Templeton DistillerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with Templeton Distillery (Iowa) to create the Templeton Rye Barrel Aged Blend. Green coffee beans are barrel aged in Templeton Rye whisky barrels for 4 weeks, then roasted to medium dark. Creates intense blend with rye bourbon and caramel sweetness notes.
• Cafe ImportscoreOthersGreen coffee bean distributor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Partnership enables farm-to-cup sourcing from small farms worldwide. Co-founders Gary and Colleen Meyer visited Costa Rica farm in Feb 2020 and signed beans that traveled globally to their loading dock in June.
• Confluence Brewing CominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to create Grays Lake Nessie with Hazelnut Coffee - a specialty beer combining craft beer with Friedrichs Coffee's hazelnut coffee. Video collaboration shows behind-the-scenes production and canning.
• Hollander ChocolateminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChocolate brand carried in barista supplies section. Provides chocolate products for drinks and culinary uses.
• Pacific FoodsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlternative milk brand carried in barista supplies section including oat milk and other alt milk options.
• ProperminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSyrup brand carried in barista supplies section for coffee drink preparation.
• Routin 1883minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench syrup brand carried in barista supplies section for professional coffee drink preparation.
• ToraniminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian syrup brand carried in barista supplies section for flavored coffee drinks.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland-origin specialty coffee roaster offering direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and cafe channels with single-origin, blends, and espresso. Highly comparable to Friedrichs in product mix and three-channel model, but operates at significantly larger national scale.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: California-origin specialty roaster with farm-direct sourcing, multiple cafes, wholesale program, and subscription offering. Comparable omnichannel (cafe + wholesale + DTC + subscription) specialty model to Friedrichs.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Nestle-owned specialty coffee roaster with cafe, wholesale, and DTC operations focused on freshness (roasted-to-order) and single-origin sourcing. Comparable direct-trade ethos and small-batch positioning to Friedrichs.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Durham, NC specialty coffee roaster with strong sustainability focus (Organic, Fair Trade), wholesale distribution to cafes and offices, plus training programs. Comparable to Friedrichs in values-driven sourcing and B2B/wholesale emphasis.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based specialty roaster with direct-trade sourcing, cafe and wholesale channels, and a focus on single-origin coffees. Comparable premium positioning and specialty-grade product portfolio to Friedrichs.
• Kicking Horse Coffee: Canadian specialty coffee roaster with strong organic and fair trade certifications, sold through grocery, DTC, and foodservice channels. Comparable certified specialty positioning, though distributed more through retail grocery than cafes.

Regional players

• Ruby Coffee Roasters: Wisconsin-based specialty coffee roaster serving wholesale and DTC with strong emphasis on direct trade and quality awards. Comparable Midwest specialty roaster competing for similar wholesale cafe accounts.
• Colectivo Coffee: Milwaukee-based specialty coffee roaster with multiple cafe locations, wholesale accounts, and a focus on sustainability certifications. Strong Midwest peer with comparable regional footprint, cafe-roaster model, and B2B wholesale presence.

Broad incumbents

• Peet's Coffee: Major specialty coffee roaster (now owned by JDE Peet's) operating cafes, grocery retail, and wholesale at national scale. Broader incumbent with overlapping specialty coffee, tea, and K-Cup offerings that compete in DTC and grocery aisles against Friedrichs.

Emerging players

• Onyx Coffee Lab: Arkansas specialty coffee roaster with award-winning competition coffees, wholesale accounts, and DTC e-commerce. Comparable premium/specialty positioning and small-batch artisan approach, with growing national DTC presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@friedrichscoffee4132
• Facebookfacebook.com/friedrichs.coffee
• Instagraminstagram.com/friedrichscoffee
• Xx.com/friedrichsia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friedrichs-coffee

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Friedrichs Coffee