Cafes Candelas
Cafés Candelas is a privately-held Spanish coffee roaster and distributor, founded circa 1970 in Lugo, serving the Horeca channel and individual consumers with roasted coffee, capsules, equipment, syrups, and barista training across multiple Spanish cities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersLugo, Spain
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cafes Candelas does
Cafés Candelas S.L. is a privately-held Spanish coffee company founded circa 1970 in Lugo, Galicia, operating across the full coffee value chain from roasting and blending through distribution and professional training. The company sells roasted whole bean, ground, soluble, and capsule coffee under proprietary brands including the flagship Supra blend and the Selectum Espresso capsule system, which is compatible with Nespresso, Espresso Point, and Nescafé Dolce Gusto machines. Its product portfolio also extends to ready-to-drink cold coffee under the Ébo brand, organic and fair-trade certified coffees, teas and infusions (Tea of Life, Wize Monkey coffee leaf infusions), professional and home coffee machines, barista accessories, take-away packaging, and an exclusive Spanish distribution arrangement for Monin syrups and sauces.
The business serves two primary customer segments: the Horeca channel (hotels, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops) through a professional direct-sales division, and individual consumers through the tiendacandelas.com e-commerce storefront with a Club Candelas loyalty program. A six-city barista training academy (Lugo, Valladolid, Madrid, Valencia, Granada, Barcelona) delivers formal courses in espresso preparation, latte art, sensory analysis, and a Barista Diploma, functioning as both a customer development channel and a brand-building asset within the Spanish specialty coffee community. Marketing spans organic social media, segmented email newsletters for professionals and individuals, a recipe and content blog, and cultural sponsorships including the Mestre Mateo Galician cinema awards.
The company is family-owned with no disclosed institutional investment or public listing. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales across coffee, capsules, equipment, syrups, and accessories, supplemented by training fees and merchandise (including a David Delfín designer collection). Pricing is unit-based, with coffee products ranging from €4.50 to premium origin coffees at €33.25, capsules from €5.08 to €56 per box, professional equipment from €29 to €883, and free shipping above a €45 order threshold. No revenue, ARR, funding round, or M&A figures are publicly disclosed.
Cafes Candelas firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cafes Candelas
- Legal name
- Cafés Candelas S.L.
- Website
- https://cafescandelas.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Cafés Candelas is a privately-held Spanish coffee roaster and distributor, founded circa 1970 in Lugo, serving the Horeca channel and individual consumers with roasted coffee, capsules, equipment, syrups, and barista training across multiple Spanish cities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cafes Candelas industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Roasted Coffee Products
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing (AFAFADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- RTD Coffee Production (Non-Dairy/Non-Alcoholic) (AFAFABAE), Coffee, Espresso & Tea Appliances Retail (CRACADAC)
Keywords
Where Cafes Candelas is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lugo
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cafes Candelas business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Coffee Product Sales: Sale of roasted coffee beans, ground coffee, soluble coffee, and coffee capsules through online store and Horeca channel. Includes organic, fair trade, and origin-specific varieties.
- Barista Equipment and Accessories: Sale of coffee machines, grinders, accessories, syrups, sauces, frappes, and take-away supplies to professional and consumer markets.
- Training and Education Services: Barista training courses, coffee workshops, and tasting sessions offered at multiple locations across Spain (Lugo, Valladolid, Madrid, Valencia, Granada, Barcelona).
- Tea and Infusion Products: Sale of teas, infusions including specialty items like Matcha Latte, Chai Latte, and Tea of Life organic/ecological range.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Whole Bean and Ground Coffee |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Coffee Capsules |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Coffee Machines |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Barista Accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Take-Away Supplies |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cafes Candelas product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cafés Candelas roasts and distributes a wide range of coffee products (whole bean, ground, soluble, capsules) and tea/infusions primarily for the Spanish Horeca hospitality channel and individual consumers through its own online store. The company also manufactures ready-to-drink cold coffee beverages under the Ébo brand and operates a barista training academy offering courses, workshops, and tasting sessions across multiple Spanish cities.
Product overview
Cafés Candelas is a Spanish coffee company with over 40 years of experience, offering a comprehensive coffee ecosystem. The core product portfolio centers on the Supra coffee line (premium blend), Selectum Espresso capsule system (compatible with Nespresso®, Espresso Point, and Dolce Gusto®), Ébo cold coffee beverages, and organic/fair-trade certified coffees. Supporting products include teas and infusions under the Tea of Life and Wize Monkey brands, professional coffee machines (Dream, Ascaso, Jolly), barista accessories, Monin syrups and sauces, and take-away packaging. The company also provides training programs, recipes, and barista education through its website and app, targeting both professional (horeca) and consumer markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Selectum Espresso: Premium coffee capsule and espresso brand featuring varieties like Supra, Colombia, and Ecologico.
- Ébo
- Wize Monkey
- Tea of Life
Companies that use Cafes Candelas
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cafes Candelas technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Cafes Candelas partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered notable, minor and core.
- David DelfínnotableExclusive collaboration with fashion designer David Delfín creating a line of sublimation coffee cups and aprons. The SUBLIME BY DELFIN collection represents a fashion-meets-coffee跨界 partnership bringing designer aesthetics to coffee accessories.
- Wize MonkeyminorDistribution partnership for Wize Monkey coffee leaf infusions. These are beverages made from coffee plant leaves (cafeto), providing a unique tea-like experience from coffee plant foliage.
- MonincoreExclusive distributor of Monin syrups, sauces, frappe bases, and fruit purees in Spain. Monin is a world leader in premium syrups for coffee shops. Candelas offers 30+ Monin syrup varieties including chocolate, caramel, banana, Irish cream, and seasonal flavors.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cafes Candelas competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marcilla: Historic Spanish coffee brand (now owned by JDE Professional) that serves the same Spanish Horeca channel with coffee beans, capsules and equipment. It is the closest mass-market competitor to Cafés Candelas in Spanish out-of-home coffee.
- Bonka: Spanish coffee brand (also under JDE) competing in the same roasted coffee and capsule categories, with strong Horeca and retail distribution across Spain. Direct overlap with Candelas' product range and customer base.
- Cafés Novell: Spanish coffee company (acquired by Pere Ventura Group) with a similar mix of roasted coffee, capsules and Horeca services. Another Iberian regional roaster pursuing comparable specialty and Horeca positioning.
- Café Saula: Spanish family-owned coffee roaster based in Catalonia, serving Horeca and retail with roasted coffee, capsules and accessories. Similar size profile and operating model to Cafés Candelas in the same Spanish market.
Broad incumbents
- JDE (Jacobs Douwe Egberts): Global coffee multinational owning Spanish brands Marcilla, Bonka and L'Or, and operating in both retail and professional channels. Competes with Candelas at the portfolio level across multiple price tiers and geographies.
- Illy: Premium Italian espresso brand with a strong Horeca presence, capsule systems (illy iperEspresso) and single-origin positioning. Competes with Candelas in the upper end of the Spanish specialty and hospitality coffee segment.
- Nespresso (Nestlé): Global capsule coffee leader whose proprietary systems are the reference point for the compatible capsules Candelas sells (Selectum Espresso). Direct overlap in retail and B2B capsule channels in Spain.
- Lavazza: Italian coffee roaster with a broad portfolio spanning espresso, capsules (Lavazza A Modo Mio, Espresso Point), RTD and foodservice solutions. Competes with Candelas across Spanish Horeca and at the multinational scale that Candelas lacks.
- Starbucks: Global coffee chain and packaged goods brand with a strong Spanish retail presence and a capsule line (Nespresso-compatible). Indirect competitor to Candelas in the Spanish consumer coffee aisle and through its Horeca supply chain.
- Segafredo Zanetti: Italian coffee company active in Horeca worldwide, offering roasted coffee, capsules and equipment. Directly comparable to Candelas in the foodservice channel and a frequent competitor in Spanish hospitality accounts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cafes Candelas social profiles
Digital presenceCafes Candelas financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cafes Candelas leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cafes Candelas funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cafes Candelas 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 Cafes Candelas
What does Cafes Candelas do?
Cafés Candelas roasts and distributes a wide range of coffee products (whole bean, ground, soluble, capsules) and tea/infusions primarily for the Spanish Horeca hospitality channel and individual consumers through its own online store. The company also manufactures ready-to-drink cold coffee beverages under the Ébo brand and operates a barista training academy offering courses, workshops, and tasting sessions across multiple Spanish cities.
Is Cafes Candelas a public or private company?
Cafes Candelas is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Cafes Candelas founded?
Cafes Candelas was founded in 1970. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Cafes Candelas based?
Cafes Candelas is headquartered in Lugo, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Cafes Candelas make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Coffee Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are barista Equipment and Accessories, training and Education Services and tea and Infusion Products.
Who are Cafes Candelas's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marcilla, Bonka, Cafés Novell and Café Saula. Broad incumbents are JDE (Jacobs Douwe Egberts), Illy, Nespresso (Nestlé), Lavazza, Starbucks and Segafredo Zanetti.
Does Cafes Candelas have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cafes Candelas.
What industry is Cafes Candelas in?
Cafes Candelas's product category is Roasted Coffee Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFADAD, Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing, with a secondary code of AFAFABAE, RTD Coffee Production (Non-Dairy/Non-Alcoholic). Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.