What Circle Alliances does

Circle Alliances is an independent consulting and contracting firm founded in 2017 by Doug Koob in San Francisco, focused on strategic business development for emerging and established food and beverage brands. The firm delivers customized growth strategies, omni-channel business development, brand building, and business optimization services to consumer product companies, licensing and franchising operators, foodservice providers, and retail operators across the U.S. food and beverage ecosystem.

The service portfolio is organized around four core offerings — Strategic Planning, Business Development, Brand Building, and Business Optimization — supplemented by a specialized Food and Beverage Concept Tours practice. Delivery is structured through flexible engagement models: in-house leadership roles via contract, ongoing retainers for defined scopes of work, specific short and long-term projects, and hourly consulting for set deliverables. There is no proprietary technology platform; value is delivered entirely through senior advisor time and industry relationships.

Circle Alliances makes money through professional services fees billed on a quote basis across these engagement models. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, leveraging founder Doug Koob's 23-year tenure at Starbucks Coffee Company in business development and sales leadership, plus subsequent executive roles at First Watch Restaurants and Asian Box Restaurants. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The client roster spans enterprise brands (Chipotle, MOD Pizza, Peet's Coffee, Tillamook, Pizza Hut, Costa Coffee, La Marzocco) alongside mid-market and startup names across coffee, ice cream, kombucha, bakery, dairy, and restaurant categories. The firm operates as a privately held sole proprietorship with no external institutional investment.

Name

Circle Alliances

Legal name

Circle Alliances

Website

https://circlealliances.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Circle Alliances is an independent food and beverage consulting firm, founded in 2017 by former Starbucks executive Doug Koob, that delivers strategic planning, omni-channel business development, brand building, and business optimization services to consumer brands, foodservice operators, and retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)

Keywords

• Food beverage consulting
• Strategic business development
• Brand growth consulting
• Foodservice strategy services
• Franchise licensing advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: Revenue generated through consulting and contracting services including in-house leadership roles via contract, ongoing retainers for defined scope of work, specific project engagements, and hourly billable work for set deliverables.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Circle Alliances is an independent consulting and contracting firm that helps food and beverage entrepreneurs and executives define, realize, and scale their businesses. Services include strategic planning, omni-channel business development, brand building, and business optimization, delivered through in-house leadership contracts, ongoing retainers, project-based engagements, and hourly work for set deliverables.

Product overview

Circle Alliances is an independent consulting and contracting company offering a unified portfolio of strategic advisory services for food and beverage brands. The core service offerings include Strategic Planning (roadmap creation and leadership strategy sessions), Business Development (driving omni-channel sales and new opportunities), Brand Building (creating experiences and driving customer loyalty), and Business Optimization (analyzing processes and establishing new tools). These are delivered through flexible engagement models: in-house leadership roles via contract, ongoing retainers, specific project work, and hourly consulting arrangements. Specialized offerings include Food and Beverage Concept Tours. The company specializes across multiple industry verticals including Consumer Products, Licensing and Franchising, Foodservice, and Retail Operations, serving clients ranging from specialty retail and fast casual restaurants to healthcare facilities, universities, airports, and upscale lodging.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Planning Collaborative roadmap creation and leadership strategy sessions on how to execute plans, offered to food and beverage entrepreneurs and executives.
• Business Development
• Brand Building
• Business Optimization
• Food and Beverage Concept Tours

Named customers29 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Food Inspiration MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDoug Koob is a contributor to Food Inspiration Magazine, which hosts Food Inspiration Days in the Netherlands. This partnership provides thought leadership exposure and content marketing opportunities for Circle Alliances.
• Food Inspiration DaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle Alliances participates in Food Inspiration Days events in the Netherlands, connecting with food and beverage industry leaders and emerging brands in leading-edge markets.
• Green Apron AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard and mentor role partnership focused on industry collaboration and development in the food and beverage sector.
• Food System 6minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard and mentor role partnership focused on food system innovation and sustainable food industry development.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sterling-Rice Group: Boulder-based brand consultancy that has long specialized in food, beverage, and CPG strategy and brand development. Directly comparable as a boutique F&B/CPG advisory selling strategy, positioning, and innovation services to emerging and established food brands.
• Daymon Worldwide: Private-brand and CPG strategy consultancy with deep food and beverage expertise across retailer brands and emerging challenger brands. Comparable as a specialty F&B/CPG advisory offering strategic planning and brand-building support to food manufacturers and retailers.
• FoodMinds: Food and beverage strategic communications and consulting firm serving CPG, foodservice, and ingredient brands. Comparable as a specialty advisory focused exclusively on the food and beverage value chain, with similar consulting-led engagement model and customer base.
• Bell & Branch: Food and beverage brand and marketing consultancy working with emerging and growth-stage CPG brands on strategy, brand building, and go-to-market. Similar boutique model, similar F&B-only focus, and similar customer segment as Circle Alliances.
• CBX (Consumer Brand Xperience): Strategy and brand-design consultancy serving CPG and food and beverage clients on positioning, innovation, and growth. Directly comparable boutique advisory offering strategic planning and brand-building services to food, beverage, and consumer product companies.
• Hatch Innovation Group: Food and beverage innovation consultancy advising emerging CPG brands on launch, scaling, and retail strategy. Comparable in offering strategy and business-development support to early- and growth-stage food and beverage entrepreneurs — the same core customer Circle Alliances serves.

Emerging players

• The Food Corridor: Food and beverage focused strategy and operations consultancy serving food entrepreneurs and emerging brands. Adjacent rather than direct: similar customer profile (emerging food brands) but heavier on kitchen/operational infrastructure rather than the omni-channel strategy Circle Alliances provides.

Broad incumbents

• The Integer Group: Large commerce-marketing agency within Omnicom that serves CPG and food and beverage brands across shopper marketing, brand building, and channel strategy. Comparable end-market and service overlap but a much broader, scaled incumbent rather than a boutique.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/circlealliances
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circle-alliances

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 Circle Alliances