Excelso
Excelso is an Indonesian specialty coffee chain founded in 1991, operating 108+ cafe outlets across 33+ cities under the Kapal Api Group. It serves urban middle-to-upper-class consumers with premium Indonesian coffee, dine-in food, packed retail beans, and a multi-tier loyalty program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersJakarta, Indonesia
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Excelso does
Excelso is an Indonesian specialty coffee chain founded in September 1991 by PT Santos Jaya Abadi, part of the Kapal Api Group, headquartered in Jakarta with a regional office in Surabaya. The company operates 108+ cafe outlets across 33+ cities in Indonesia, with three in-store dining concepts: Excelso Cafe (signature coffee drinks and food), Excelso Lite (quick-service rice bowls), and Excelso Nusantara (Indonesian-inspired specialty dishes). Its core product is premium Indonesian coffee beans sourced from seven major growing regions—Toraja, Gayo, Mandailing, Java, Bali, Flores, and Papua—offered as 10+ roasted variants under proprietary "Aroma Locked" packaging technology, plus a branded merchandise line of tumblers including a Dekayu co-branded edition.
The business model combines franchise and direct-to-consumer cafe retail sales, packed-coffee retail through Shopee, Blibli, and Tokopedia, and delivery sales via GrabFood, GoFood, and ShopeeFood. A multi-tier loyalty program (Gold, Platinum, Diamond) offering 15% to 30% discounts is tied to a proprietary iOS/Android mobile app that drives repeat visits and customer data capture. Pricing is not publicly disclosed on the website; franchise terms and unit economics are not disclosed publicly. Target customers are urban Indonesian middle to upper-class consumers seeking premium local coffee in a contemporary cafe setting, with secondary segments including home-brewing coffee enthusiasts and loyalty program members.
Excelso has won multiple industry recognitions including Franchise Top of Mind (2012-2016), Indonesia Best of the Best Quality Service Award 2016, and Superbrand 2017, and holds Halal certification for its products. The company is backed by its parent conglomerate Kapal Api Group, with no external venture capital or private equity funding disclosed in the source data. The legal entity is PT Excelso Multi Rasa, registered in Indonesia.
Excelso firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Excelso
- Legal name
- PT Excelso Multi Rasa
- Website
- https://excelso-coffee.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Excelso is an Indonesian specialty coffee chain founded in 1991, operating 108+ cafe outlets across 33+ cities under the Kapal Api Group. It serves urban middle-to-upper-class consumers with premium Indonesian coffee, dine-in food, packed retail beans, and a multi-tier loyalty program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Excelso industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Chain
- NAICS
- Restaurants and Other Eating Places (7225), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Breakfast & Coffee QSR (THAFAAAI)
Keywords
Where Excelso is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jakarta
- HQ country
- Indonesia
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Excelso business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cafe Food & Beverage Sales: Revenue from selling freshly brewed coffee, specialty drinks (Avocado Coffee, Cendol Latte, Mango Tango Smoothies, Summer Over Snow), and food items (rice bowls, snacks) at cafe outlets
- Packed Coffee Products: Sales of whole coffee beans and packed coffee products through Excelso outlets, Shopee, Blibli, and Tokopedia e-commerce platforms. Products include Robusta Gold, Arabica Gold, Classic, House Blend, and specialty beans from regions like Toraja, Gayo, and Tanah Karo
- Merchandise: Sales of branded merchandise including tumblers (Gradienza, Cherry Noir, Dekayu collaboration), tote bags, and coffee accessories
- Franchise Revenue: Revenue from franchise operations as part of expansion strategy, with franchise outlets contributing to network growth across 33+ cities
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Gold Membership - 15% discount |
| Subscription | Monthly | Platinum Membership - 20% discount |
| Subscription | Monthly | Diamond Membership - 30% discount |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | First Order Discount - 15% off |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Excelso product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Excelso is an Indonesian specialty coffee chain that operates cafe outlets serving premium brewed coffee, specialty drinks, and food under three in-cafe concepts (Excelso Cafe, Excelso Lite, Excelso Nusantara). It also retails packed coffee beans (10+ variants including Robusta Gold, Arabica Gold, Classic, House Blend, and single-origin beans from regions like Toraja, Gayo, Tanah Karo, and Gunung Tilu) and branded merchandise such as tumblers and tote bags. The business runs through 108+ cafe outlets across 33+ Indonesian cities, complemented by a multi-tier membership program and mobile app.
Product overview
Excelso is an Indonesian specialty coffee chain (established 1991, part of Kapal Api Group) operating a unified cafe-and-retail model. The offering consists of three in-cafe dining concepts — Excelso Cafe (signature coffee drinks and food), Excelso Lite (quick rice bowls), and Excelso Nusantara (Indonesian specialty dishes) — supported by a packed-coffee retail line of 10+ premium and specialty single-origin beans (Robusta Gold, Arabica Gold, Classic, House Blend, Tanah Karo, Toraja Rante Karua, Gunung Tilu, Aceh Gayo), and a merchandise line of branded tumblers including collaborative editions (Dekayu x Excelso Nusantara, Cherry Noir). A loyalty program (Excelso Membership with Gold/Platinum/Diamond tiers) and a companion mobile app for iOS and Android tie the ecosystem together, enabling members to transact, collect points, and redeem exclusive offers across 110+ outlets in 30+ cities across Indonesia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Excelso Cafe
Quantifiable outcome
- 108+ outlets across 33+ cities in Indonesia
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Excelso
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Excelso technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature1 record
Excelso partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DekayucoreCollaboration between Excelso and Dekayu resulting in the 'Dekayu x Excelso Nusantara' merchandise line - a limited edition tumbler that combines the warmth of Indonesian coffee with local craftsmanship and heritage design elements.
- GrabFoodminorFood delivery partnership enabling Excelso customers to order via GrabFood platform during and post-pandemic for take-away and delivery services
- GoFoodminorFood delivery partnership enabling Excelso customers to order via GoFood platform for take-away and delivery services
- ShopeeFoodminorFood delivery partnership enabling Excelso customers to order via ShopeeFood platform for take-away and delivery services
- ShopeeminorE-commerce marketplace partnership for selling Excelso packed coffee products and merchandise across Indonesia
- BlibliminorE-commerce marketplace partnership for selling Excelso packed coffee products and merchandise across Indonesia
- TokopediaminorE-commerce marketplace partnership for selling Excelso packed coffee products and merchandise across Indonesia
- PT Santos Jaya Abadi (Kapal Api Group)coreParent company relationship - Excelso was established in September 1991 by PT Santos Jaya Abadi, part of the Kapal Api Group. The group operates from Jakarta as business center and Surabaya as the original founding location.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Excelso competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kopi Kenangan: Indonesian coffee chain operating tech-enabled outlets across major cities. Direct comparable to Excelso in target market, product (specialty Indonesian coffee), and multi-tier loyalty/app strategy, but with a digital-native, VC-backed operating model.
- Fore Coffee: Indonesia-focused specialty coffee chain with strong digital ordering and delivery orientation. Closely comparable to Excelso on customer segment (urban premium coffee), cafe format, and mobile-led engagement.
- Janji Jiwa: Indonesian coffee chain scaling rapidly via franchising across Indonesian cities. Comparable to Excelso in cafe-and-retail format, Indonesian-origin coffee positioning, and franchise-driven national expansion strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Dunkin' Indonesia: International QSR chain with Indonesian presence serving coffee alongside donuts and food. Comparable in cafe-style seating, urban Indonesian mall locations, and coffee-as-part-of-bigger-occasion positioning.
- McCafé (McDonald's Indonesia): Coffee-focused concept operated within McDonald's Indonesia's broader QSR footprint. Comparable as a mass-market coffee option competing for Indonesian everyday coffee occasions, though distributed through a global QSR parent.
- Starbucks Indonesia: International incumbent with a large premium-cafe footprint across Indonesian cities. Comparable in target customer (urban middle/upper-class), cafe experience, and beverage-led menu, but operates as part of a global brand portfolio.
- Tim Hortons Indonesia: International coffee and donut chain expanding across Indonesian malls. Comparable to Excelso on mall-based premium-cafe positioning and urban target market, but part of a global brand and broader food portfolio.
- The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Indonesia: International premium cafe chain with established Indonesian locations in malls and commercial districts. Comparable in premium cafe experience, beverage-forward menu, and Indonesian urban customer base.
Others
- Kapal Api: Parent company group behind Excelso, operating packaged and ground coffee products in Indonesia. Relevant as a sibling brand within the same conglomerate competing for Indonesian coffee occasions across packaged-goods and cafe channels.
Regional players
- Common Grounds Coffee: Singapore-based specialty coffee chain with Southeast Asian cafe footprint. Comparable on specialty coffee menu and urban cafe experience, but primarily Singapore-focused with limited Indonesian presence.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Excelso social profiles
Digital presenceExcelso compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Excelso financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Excelso leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Excelso funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Excelso M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Excelso
What does Excelso do?
Excelso is an Indonesian specialty coffee chain that operates cafe outlets serving premium brewed coffee, specialty drinks, and food under three in-cafe concepts (Excelso Cafe, Excelso Lite, Excelso Nusantara). It also retails packed coffee beans (10+ variants including Robusta Gold, Arabica Gold, Classic, House Blend, and single-origin beans from regions like Toraja, Gayo, Tanah Karo, and Gunung Tilu) and branded merchandise such as tumblers and tote bags. The business runs through 108+ cafe outlets across 33+ Indonesian cities, complemented by a multi-tier membership program and mobile app.
Is Excelso a public or private company?
Excelso is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Excelso founded?
Excelso was founded in 1991. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Excelso based?
Excelso is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, in the Asia region.
How does Excelso make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Cafe Food & Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are packed Coffee Products, merchandise and franchise Revenue.
Who are Excelso's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kopi Kenangan, Fore Coffee and Janji Jiwa. Broad incumbents are Dunkin' Indonesia, McCafé (McDonald's Indonesia), Starbucks Indonesia, Tim Hortons Indonesia and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Indonesia. Kapal Api is listed as an others. Common Grounds Coffee is listed as a regional player.
Does Excelso have an API?
No public API is recorded for Excelso.
What industry is Excelso in?
Excelso's product category is Specialty Coffee Chain. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAB, Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes, with a secondary code of THAFAAAI, Breakfast & Coffee QSR. Its NAICS code is 7225 and its SIC code is 5810.