CoffeeLab

What CoffeeLab does

CoffeeLab is a Greek specialty coffee franchise chain founded in 2009 by Stelios Roumeliotis and formally incorporated in 2012 as BREW RATIO IKE, headquartered in Moschato, Greece. The company operates a vertically integrated third-wave coffee business built on direct trade sourcing through its Coffee Lab Farms program, offering a permanent menu of category Q single-origin coffees from Brazil, Guatemala, Kenya, and Ethiopia alongside a rotating In Season Project of limited-edition origins (El Salvador, Honduras, Tanzania, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica, Peru). Proprietary roast profiles, hands-on farm engagement, and ISO 22000:2018 food safety certification underpin the production stack.

The product portfolio spans in-store coffee beverages, a food menu (sandwiches, croissants, pancakes, burgers, desserts), retail products distributed through the Kafekopteio section (beans, Nespresso-compatible capsules, Greek coffee, filter coffee, tea), and a Choco Lab / Boutique Chocolat sub-brand for handcrafted chocolate. A dedicated B2B portal supports franchisee and distributor operations.

CoffeeLab's business model is anchored on franchise-led expansion: partners commit to a 10-year contract, a EUR 55,000 initial investment (entry fee up to EUR 15,000), and zero royalties or marketing fees, in exchange for turnkey store setup and training. The network has scaled to 170+ stores across approximately 10 countries including Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, the UK, Germany, Bulgaria, and (announced) the USA via Project New York. The company serves two primary segments: quality-focused individual consumers seeking specialty coffee experiences, and entrepreneur franchisees seeking an established coffee brand entry point.

Name

CoffeeLab

Legal name

BREW RATIO IKE

Website

https://coffeelab.gr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CoffeeLab is a Greek specialty coffee franchise chain founded in 2009, operating 170+ stores across approximately 10 countries under a third-wave coffee concept with direct trade single-origin sourcing and a no-royalty, EUR 55,000-investment franchise model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Chain

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Coffee franchise operations
• Single origin coffee
• Coffee bean roasting
• Specialty cafe chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Moscháto

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Franchise Operations: Revenue from franchise fees and store operations across the network of 170+ stores in Greece and internationally
2. Retail Product Sales: Sale of coffee beans, capsules, Greek coffee, and tea products for at-home consumption through the Kafekopteio (retail) section
3. Food and Beverage Sales: In-store sales of coffee beverages, food items including croissants, sandwiches, pancakes, and the Choco Lab chocolate line

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CoffeeLab operates a Greek specialty coffee franchise chain (170+ stores across 9 countries) selling direct-trade single origin coffees (Brazil, Guatemala, Kenya, Ethiopia), seasonal In Season Project editions, a full cafe food menu, handcrafted Boutique Chocolat, and retail coffee products (beans, Nespresso-compatible capsules, Greek coffee, filter coffee, tea) through its in-store Kafekopteio section. The company extends its offering to entrepreneurs through a turnkey franchise program with no royalties or marketing fees.

Product overview

CoffeeLab is a specialty coffee franchise chain offering single origin coffees from four permanent varieties (Brazil, Guatemala, Kenya, Ethiopia) alongside limited edition In Season Project coffees. The company operates on a 3rd wave coffee philosophy with full traceability and sustainability. Its product portfolio includes retail coffee products (beans, capsules, filter coffee, Greek coffee, tea), food menu items, and handcrafted chocolate under the Boutique Chocolat/Choco Lab sub-brand. The company offers franchise opportunities with turnkey store setup and training programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Choco Lab: Chocolate and confectionery sub-brand offering Boutique Chocolat handmade chocolate pieces, chocolate bars, spreads, and chocolate flake sachets in various flavors
• Coffee Lab Farms
• In Season Project
• Boutique Chocolat

Products and services

• Single Origin Coffee Premium direct trade Q-category single origin coffees from four permanent origins (Brazil, Guatemala, Kenya, Ethiopia), each with its own unique roast profile and full traceability, served in stores and sold through Kafekopteio.
• In Season Project Limited edition seasonal single origin coffees from rotating origins including El Salvador, Honduras, Tanzania, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica, Peru, and Small Talks, with unique processing methods and special varieties.
• Coffee Beans (Retail) Whole coffee beans for home brewing in espresso-filter (200g) and Greek coffee (50g/100g) formats, encompassing single origin varieties and CoffeeLab blend options.
• Nespresso Capsules Nespresso-machine-compatible capsules in 10-piece packs, containing single origin coffees and blends including Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Kenya, Decaf, Strong, Velvet, and Gentle varieties.
• Filter Coffee Ground filter coffee in French, American, and flavored varieties (Caramel, Biscuit, Hazelnut, Vanilla, Chocolate, Macadamia Nut, Praline) for at-home brewing.
• Greek Coffee Traditional Greek coffee in 50g and 100g packages including Special, Medium, Blond, Dark, and Decaffeinated varieties, sold for at-home Greek coffee preparation.
• Tea & Herbs Tea range including Green (Gun Powder, Goji Acai, Smelly Shrub, Ginger Lemon), Dark (English Breakfast, Earl Gray/Bergamot, Caramel), Dried Fruits (Red Square, Red Almond, 4 Red Fruits) and Herbs (Mountain Tea, Chamomile).
• Boutique Chocolat Handcrafted chocolate range under the Choco Lab sub-brand featuring chocolate pieces in four flavors, chocolate bars in three flavors, handmade chocolate slabs, chocolate drops, spreads, and chocolate flake sachets in milk, dark, and white chocolate variants.
• Food Menu All-day café food offering including NY, Sando, Egg Lab, Bagel and Panini sandwiches, croissants, babka, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, crepes, burgers, salads, and desserts served in franchise stores.
• Coffee Lab Franchise Turnkey franchise program for opening a CoffeeLab coffee shop, including store setup, training, ongoing support, no royalties, and no marketing fees, with entry fees up to 15,000 EUR and initial investment of 55,000 EUR under a 10-year contract.

Quantifiable outcome

• Best Coffee Chain in Southern Europe - European Coffee Awards 2023
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• A Little ShelterminorOthers · 1 October 2023Animal welfare partnership under the Argus & Friends initiative supporting stray animal protection
• Center for Reception and Solidarity of the Municipality of Athens (K.Y.A.D.A.)minorOthers · 27 March 2023CoffeeLab supports the homeless shelter center with coffee, equipment, and consumables for the third consecutive year, providing over 300 coffees daily to guests
• Hellenic Cancer SocietyminorOthers · 1 October 2022Breast Cancer Awareness Month partnership with Pink Ribbon Bracelet sales supporting the organization
• Save A Greek StrayminorOthers · 18 February 2022Corporate social responsibility partnership supporting stray animal welfare through donations and awareness campaigns

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Bluestone Lane: Specialty coffee café chain in the US with strong third-wave/café-culture branding; useful peer for understanding the US specialty café category CoffeeLab is entering via Project New York.

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks: Global coffee chain incumbent with extensive franchised/licensed operations and packaged retail products; sets the competitive benchmark for store scale, retail product distribution, and brand recognition CoffeeLab must contend with.
• Costa Coffee: One of the largest coffee chains in Europe and the UK, with franchise and licensed-store models; relevant as a broader incumbent competing for the same specialty-adjacent consumer in shared geographies like the UK.
• Gregorys Coffee: US-based specialty coffee chain with broad menu and franchised/company-owned stores; comparable category and café format, though a larger North American incumbent rather than a like-sized peer.
• Caffè Nero: European specialty coffee chain with significant UK presence; overlaps directly with CoffeeLab in product positioning and target consumer, but operates at materially larger scale.
• Lavazza (Caffè Lavazza / Espresso Point): Italian coffee roaster with branded café and capsule/franchise concepts globally; relevant incumbent combining coffee manufacturing, retail SKUs, and café operations similar to CoffeeLab's vertical model.

Direct peers

• Mikel Coffee Company: Greek-origin specialty coffee franchise chain with international presence; directly comparable franchise model, store footprint strategy, and third-wave positioning to CoffeeLab.
• Coffee Fellows: German specialty coffee chain operating a franchise/lounge model across Europe; comparable in franchise GTM, store format, and premium coffee positioning.
• Coffee Island: Greek specialty coffee chain and franchise system that competes head-to-head with CoffeeLab in Greece and abroad on third-wave single-origin coffee and franchise-led store expansion.

Regional players

• Espresso House: Leading Scandinavian specialty coffee chain with franchise elements and own retail product lines; comparable in concept and café format but focused on Northern Europe rather than the Mediterranean.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/coffeelabgr

Compliance1 record

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 CoffeeLab