What Cafe Latte does

Cafe Latte operates a single cafeteria-format restaurant at 850 Grand Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in continuous operation under Quinn family ownership since 1984. The establishment functions as a multi-concept venue combining a made-to-order cafeteria line (offering rotating daily selections of 7 soups, 12 sandwiches, and 5 prepared salads), an in-house bakery producing cakes, tortes, tarts, cupcakes, breads, and scones using no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, and a back-of-house pizza and wine bar with 30+ wines by the glass. The operation serves the general St. Paul consumer base plus targeted segments including private event renters (via the Tres event space for groups up to 85 standing), corporate and group catering clients ($15 box lunches, 48-hour advance ordering), and wedding/party hosts seeking custom dessert bars and specialty cakes including gender reveal designs. There is no proprietary technology platform; commerce is conducted through the physical storefront supplemented by the third-party Toast Takeout online ordering system for takeout and gift card redemption. Revenue is generated through four transactional streams — food and beverage sales, catering and private event fees, retail merchandise (notably Love Your Melon co-branded beanies and Urban Duck totes), and physical and e-gift cards redeemable at Cafe Latte and affiliated Bread & Chocolate locations. Marketing is grounded in community participation (Grand Old Day, WineFest, FashionFest), Instagram-driven promotion, and a documented track record of donating to roughly 400 local organizations annually since 1982. Recognition includes MSP Magazine's 50 Best Restaurants "Local Legend" placement and an Alfie Industry Icon Award at WineFest No. 23, reinforcing a durable local brand position.

Name

Cafe Latte

Legal name

Cafe Latte

Website

https://cafelatte.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cafe Latte is a family-owned, single-location cafeteria-style restaurant and bakery in St. Paul, Minnesota, serving soups, salads, sandwiches, gourmet pizzas, wines, custom desserts, box lunches, and private events at 850 Grand Avenue since 1984.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Food Services and Drinking Places (722), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Cafe-Bakeries (Bakery + Coffee/Foodservice) (THAFAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Cafeteria-style dining
• Artisan bakery desserts
• Pizza and wine bar
• Catering and events
• Box lunch catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from on-site dining, cafeteria-style service, bakery items, pizza and wine bar, and daily menu items including soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts.
2. Catering and Events: Revenue from private event space rentals (Tres), wedding and party dessert services, box lunches, and catering orders.
3. Retail Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including Love Your Melon beanies and Urban Duck tote bags through the on-site gift shop.
4. Gift Cards: Sale of physical and e-gift cards valid at Cafe Latte and Bread & Chocolate locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cafe Latte operates a cafeteria-style restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota, serving made-to-order soups, salads, and sandwiches alongside an in-house bakery producing fresh cakes, tortes, tarts, cupcakes, breads, and scones. The business also runs a pizza and wine bar with 30+ wines by the glass and offers box lunch catering, private event space rental, and wedding/party dessert services.

Product overview

Cafe Latte is a cafeteria-style restaurant offering multiple dining concepts under one roof: a cafeteria line serving soups, salads, and sandwiches; an on-site bakery producing cakes, tortes, tarts, cupcakes, breads, and scones; a pizza and wine bar with over 30 wines by the glass; and the Tres private event space for catered events. The restaurant also offers retail merchandise including branded apparel. Services include box lunches, wedding and party desserts, gender reveal cakes, and catering. All operations are unified under single ownership (Quinn family) at one St. Paul, MN location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cafeteria-Style Restaurant Dining Daily cafeteria-style dine-in service offering more than six soups, a dozen sandwiches, and five prepared salads made fresh in front of customers, along with gourmet pizzas. Targeted at local residents and walk-in visitors.
• Artisan Bakery and Desserts In-house bakery producing fresh-baked cakes, tortes, tarts, cupcakes, truffles, and seasonal desserts using natural ingredients without artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Sells whole cakes, slices ($6-$7.50), and truffles ($3.75).
• Fresh Breads and Scones Fresh-baked breads and scones made daily in-house, used for the cafe's sandwiches and available for separate retail purchase.
• Pizza and Wine Bar Gourmet pizzas paired with an extensive wine menu of 30+ wines by the glass, plus non-alcoholic wine and beer options. Located in the back of the cafe as a casual gathering spot.
• Coffee, Tea, and Specialty Drinks Beverage offerings including signature lattes made with Morningstar Coffee, teas, and specialty drinks available at the cafe counter.
• Box Lunch Catering
• Wedding and Party Desserts Custom dessert services for weddings and parties including centerpiece cakes and dessert bars with assorted cakes, tarts, tortes, cupcakes, and truffles. Special orders require 2 weeks advance notice and pastry department approval.
• Gender Reveal Cakes Specialty cakes and cupcakes for gender reveal celebrations, available in buttercream and tres leches options.
• Tres Private Event Space Private event venue rental with full-service catering and expert event planning. Capacity for 54 seated or 85 standing guests, with a $450 room fee plus $150 food and beverage minimum.
• Gift Cards Physical and e-gift cards available for purchase, valid at Cafe Latte and Bread & Chocolate locations.
• Gift Shop Merchandise Retail merchandise sold in-store including Love Your Melon branded beanies ($30-$45) and handcrafted Urban Duck tote bags ($88), available in-store only.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ years in business since 1984
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Minnesota Masonic Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCafe Latte partners with the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital for WineFest and FashionFest charity events. The restaurant donates and participates in these healthcare fundraising events, connecting with the local community through pediatric healthcare initiatives.
• March of DimesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCafe Latte supports March of Dimes through community giving and event participation, contributing to the organization's mission for maternal and infant health.
• Minnesota Monthly Food & Wine ExperienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCafe Latte participates in the Minnesota Monthly Food & Wine Experience, a regional food and wine event that showcases local culinary excellence.
• Morningstar CoffeecoreTechnology or IntegrationCafe Latte features signature lattes using Morningstar Coffee products. This is a core product ingredient partnership where Morningstar Coffee supplies coffee beans for the cafe's signature drink offerings.
• Love Your MelonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCafe Latte sells Love Your Melon branded merchandise (beanies) in their gift shop. The partnership includes co-branded merchandise inspired by Cafe Latte's famous Turtle Cake, featuring Cafe Latte's branding on Love Your Melon products.
• Urban DuckminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCafe Latte sells Urban Duck handcrafted tote bags in their gift shop. These bags are handcrafted in Stillwater, MN, and are available for in-store purchase only.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Buttered Tin: St. Paul breakfast/brunch cafe specializing in baked goods and comfort food — directly comparable as an independent St. Paul bakery-cafe competing for similar morning/weekend traffic and dessert custom-order business.
• Cossetta Alimentari: Italian market, food hall, and full-service restaurant on West 7th Street in St. Paul — directly comparable as a multi-concept St. Paul food destination combining retail market, casual dining, and event catering under a family-owned operator.
• Patisserie 46: Twin Cities craft bakery/cafe in Minneapolis with an award-winning pastry program and cafe service — overlaps directly with Cafe Latte's bakery and dessert positioning and competes for Twin Cities dessert/custom-cake demand.
• Muffuletta Cafe: St. Paul breakfast/lunch cafe with counter-style service and bakery items — directly comparable in service format and Twin Cities customer base, particularly for the daily soup/salad/sandwich offering.
• Black Sheep Coal Fired Pizza: Twin Cities coal-fired pizza restaurant with a wine-forward menu — competes directly with Cafe Latte's pizza-and-wine-bar concept for evening dining traffic.
• Bread & Chocolate: Bakery-cafe in Minneapolis with a similar fresh-baked, cafe-with-foodservice model; gift cards issued by Cafe Latte are honored at Bread & Chocolate, evidencing either shared ownership or a deeply aligned partnership and making it the closest operational analog.

Others

• Love Your Melon: Apparel brand with a co-branded merchandise partnership (beanies sold in Cafe Latte's gift shop) — adjacent brand rather than a competitor, included as a relationship-relevant peer given the in-store retail partnership.
• Toast (restaurant technology): Restaurant technology platform used by Cafe Latte for online ordering (Toast Takeout) and gift card processing — ecosystem enabler rather than a competitor, but materially influences Cafe Latte's digital ordering infrastructure.

Regional players

• Dunn Brothers Coffee: St. Paul-headquartered specialty coffee roaster and cafe franchise — competing regional coffee-and-cafe concept with a comparable Minneapolis-St. Paul origin story to Cafe Latte.

Broad incumbents

• Caribou Coffee: Minnesota-founded specialty coffee chain with broad regional footprint — overlaps with Cafe Latte's coffee and breakfast/daytime cafe business, though at much greater scale and a more limited food menu.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cafelattemn
• Xx.com/cafelattemn
• Facebookfacebook.com/cafelattecoolsprings

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 Cafe Latte