What Einstein Kaffee does

Einstein Kaffee Rösterei GmbH is a Berlin-headquartered specialty coffee roaster and café chain founded in 1978 as a Viennese-style coffee house. The company operates an integrated value chain centred on its Franklinstraße 12 roastery in Berlin, where Arabica beans sourced via direct trade relationships (including Colombian origin partnerships through Rehm & Co, Lohas Beans, and smallholder cooperatives in Planadas and Sierra Nevada) are hand-roasted daily and delivered same-day to the company's own cafés. Its product portfolio spans over 20 single-origin and blended coffee varieties — including the proprietary Wiener Mischung, a six-component Viennese blend whose recipe is held only by the master roaster — alongside espresso, decaf, accessories, and gift vouchers. Distribution is hybrid: 23+ company-operated cafés across Berlin and Potsdam positioned at premium foot-traffic nodes (Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Alexanderplatz, Kurfürstendamm, KaDeWe, Checkpoint Charlie, Friedrichstraße, Bikini Berlin), an English/German D2C e-commerce storefront shipping domestically and internationally, a franchise programme for third-party expansion, barista training courses at the roastery, and event catering for high-profile Berlin cultural events (Berlinale, Fashion Week, VBKI Sommerfest).

The business monetises across six identifiable streams: in-café retail sales (espresso, food, ancillary retail), D2C online sales (beans, accessories, €20-50 gift vouchers), franchise licensing, barista courses (€59-89), B2B event/corporate coffee partnerships, and co-branded premium tableware (KPM Berlin collaboration at €99-100 price points). Customers are predominantly individual German consumers, with the company disclosing an over-80% daily regular-customer rate at cafés — supported by a bonus-card loyalty programme — suggesting a habit-driven, long-tail revenue base. Marketing combines Google Ads and Analytics, Mailchimp email, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X), and high-visibility Berlin event sponsorships. The company is structured as a privately held German GmbH with no disclosed PE/VC backing, no public listing, and 51-100 employees; ownership is described as founder-held or held by a small group of private investors.

Name

Einstein Kaffee

Legal name

Einstein Kaffee Rösterei GmbH

Website

https://einstein-kaffee.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Einstein Kaffee Rösterei GmbH is a Berlin-based specialty coffee roaster and café chain founded in 1978, operating 23+ cafés in Berlin and Potsdam, an in-house roastery producing daily hand-roasted Arabica blends including the signature Wiener Mischung, and a D2C e-commerce shop serving German consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Shop & Roastery

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roastery
• Coffee house chain
• Coffee bean retail
• Barista training courses
• Coffee café franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices26 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Café Sales: Revenue from 23+ café locations across Berlin and Potsdam serving espresso drinks, coffee beverages, food (salads, sandwiches, breakfast, cakes). Cafés are located at major transit hubs (Hauptbahnhof, Alexanderplatz), shopping districts (Kurfürstendamm, Friedrichstraße, Savignyplatz), and tourist landmarks.
2. E-commerce / Online Shop: Direct-to-consumer online sales of whole coffee beans (single origin and blends), espresso machines, accessories, and gift vouchers. Free shipping within Germany for orders above €40. International shipping available to EU and non-EU countries.
3. Gift Vouchers: Online gift vouchers sold in €20, €30, and €50 denominations, valid for 3 years from purchase date, redeemable only in the webshop.
4. Barista Training Courses: Barista introductory courses (from €89) and Basic Latte Art courses (from €59) offered at the Franklinstraße roastery, targeting coffee enthusiasts and professionals.
5. Event Sponsorship & Corporate Coffee: Coffee partner services at high-profile Berlin events (Berlinale, Fashion Week, etc.) and corporate enquiries for events, generating sponsorship and B2B revenue.
6. Franchise: Franchise programme offered to prospective partners interested in opening EINSTEIN KAFFEE branded cafés, with support from the trained team in strategic questions before and during the process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Einstein Kaffee operates a chain of more than 23 Viennese-style coffee houses across Berlin and Potsdam, complemented by a hand-roasting roastery at Franklinstraße 12 in Berlin and a direct-to-consumer online shop. The company roasts Arabica beans daily and sells over 20 coffee varieties (single origins and proprietary blends, including the secret Wiener Mischung), coffee accessories, gift vouchers, barista training courses, and franchise opportunities. Its primary revenue comes from in-café beverage and food service, supplemented by e-commerce sales, event coffee partnerships, and barista education.

Product overview

Einstein Kaffee is a Berlin-based coffee roastery and café chain founded in 1978, operating over 23 locations in Berlin and Potsdam. The company offers a portfolio of over 20 coffee varieties sourced from four continents, available as single origins or proprietary blends (including the signature Wiener Mischung). Products include espresso, filter coffee, and decaf varieties suited for various brewing methods (fully automatic, portafilter, Bialetti, French press, filter). The company also sells accessories (cups, mugs, glasses) through its e-commerce shop, offers gift vouchers, and provides barista training courses at its Franklinstraße roastery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KPM x EINSTEIN KAFFEE: A collaboration with KPM (Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur) producing exclusive porcelain cups and mugs under a premium co-branded line.

Products and services

• Wiener Mischung (Viennese Blend) Signature Einstein Kaffee coffee blend combining six single origins, sold as whole beans/ground coffee for home brewing and used across the café chain; targeted at individual coffee consumers who value an authentic Viennese-style cup.
• Espresso Blends (Unter den Linden, Bar Italia)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80% of daily café visitors are regular customers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Rehm & CominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2021Einstein Kaffee partnered with Rehm & Co for a Colombia origin journey, following the traces of green coffee from cultivation to harvest. Rehm & Co facilitated access to coffee farms in Planadas (Tolima) and Sierra Nevada, including visits to Lohas Beans in Bogotá.
• Lohas BeansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLohas Beans (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) in Bogotá exports sustainably and fairly produced green coffee. Einstein Kaffee sources Colombian green coffee through them and participated in joint cupping sessions to evaluate different regions and growing areas.
• Agroberlin Farm (Sierra Nevada, Colombia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect sourcing partnership with Dario's Agroberlin farm in Sierra Nevada, Colombia. The farm holds organic and Fairtrade certifications and produces approximately 120 tonnes of green coffee per harvest.
• Smallholder Coffee Farmers (Planadas, Tolima)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with smallholder farmers organised in cooperatives in Planadas, Tolima region, cultivating coffee at altitudes of 1200-1900 metres. Farmers harvest Typica, Catura and Castillo varieties between March and June, using purely organic methods.
• KPM Berlin (Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur)minorOthersCollaboration between Einstein Kaffee and KPM Berlin (Royal Porcelain Manufactory) producing co-branded coffee cups and tableware, including the Flugzeugtasse (€99) and Herr Ober Becher (€100).
• Axel SpringerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEinstein Kaffee had a presence at the woman con Axel Springer Women's Conference in Berlin, with an exhibitor stand serving coffee.
• Volkswagen (VW Drive)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEinstein Kaffee was the coffee partner at the BFFS Backstage event held at VW Drive, serving coffee to filmmakers and creatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Coffee Circle: Berlin-based specialty coffee roaster with a strong D2C e-commerce and subscription model, plus café presence. Comparable on product (freshly roasted specialty Arabica), origin sourcing, and the roastery-plus-D2C model, though more digitally native and less café-heavy than Einstein Kaffee.
• Coffee Fellows: German coffee café chain offering coffee specialties, food, and a relaxed café atmosphere across multiple German cities. Comparable on café-chain model, German consumer base, and food-and-coffee offering, but with broader geographic spread and less emphasis on own-roasting heritage.
• Andraschko Kaffeemanufaktur: Berlin-based specialty coffee roastery offering single-origin beans and café service. Comparable as a local Berlin roastery-café operator, though smaller in scale, competing for the same specialty consumer.
• Bonanza Coffee Roasters: Berlin-based specialty coffee roastery and café operator with multiple locations, in-house roasting, and a focus on single-origin Arabica beans. Closely comparable to Einstein Kaffee in product mix, café-roastery integration, and Berlin footprint, though slightly more third-wave/specialty in positioning.
• Five Elephant Coffee Roasters: Berlin specialty roastery with cafés and a strong D2C bean/wholesale business, plus a bakery tie-in. Highly comparable on product type, café-roastery integration, and Berlin positioning; competes for the same specialty coffee consumer and barista-trained audience.
• The Barn Coffee Roasters: Berlin specialty coffee roastery and café chain founded in 2010 with roastery operations and multiple café locations across Berlin and beyond. Directly comparable on product (specialty roasted Arabica), café model, and D2C e-commerce presence, with a more contemporary third-wave brand identity.

Broad incumbents

• Tchibo: Germany's largest coffee retail brand combining grocery-channel bean sales, capsule systems, and Tchibo Cafés. Comparable on product (roasted coffee, beans, café service) and German consumer base; broader incumbent with grocery-scale reach rather than specialty positioning.
• Starbucks Germany: Global coffee chain with significant Berlin and German presence across transit hubs and shopping districts. Comparable on café model, German urban footprint, and commuter/tourist customer base; much larger scale and broader product mix.
• Lavazza (Germany): Italian coffee brand with German retail, foodservice, and espresso-bar presence. Comparable on espresso blends and café/coffee-bar format; broader incumbent operating across grocery and foodservice rather than specialty single-origin.

Emerging players

• Father Carpenter: Berlin specialty café and coffee program, smaller and more boutique than Einstein Kaffee but operating in the same premium Berlin café market with strong design and coffee credentials. Comparable on Berlin café positioning and specialty coffee focus, though at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/einsteinkaffee?lang=de
• Facebookfacebook.com/einsteinkaffeeroastery
• Instagraminstagram.com/einsteinkaffee_official/?hl=de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/einsteinkaffee

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 Einstein Kaffee