Alakef Coffee Roasters

What Alakef Coffee Roasters does

Alakef Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota, founded in 1990 by Israeli immigrants Nessim and Deborah Bohbot. The company sources green coffee from cooperatives in 8-10 origin countries (including Norandino in Peru and UtamaGro Tani Gayo in Sumatra), applies proprietary roasting profiles developed by its chemist founder, and produces a catalog of espresso blends, single-origin coffees, flavored coffees, and decaffeinated varieties under USDA Organic, Rainforest Alliance, and Fair Trade certifications. It sells direct-to-consumer through alakef.com with a Coffee Club subscription program ($28.99/month), wholesale to grocery retailers (Lunds & Byerlys, Kowalski's Markets, Hy-Vee, and since 2019 Giant Food's 169-store East Coast chain), and food service to restaurants and coffee shops. In 2015, second-generation owner Alyza Bohbot acquired the business for approximately $1M over 10 years and launched City Girl Coffee Co. as a wholly-owned sister brand that sources exclusively from women-owned farms and donates 5% of profits to the International Women's Coffee Alliance and Café Femenino. The company employs 14 people across both brands and completed a full rebranding in 2019.

Name

Alakef Coffee Roasters

Legal name

Alakef Coffee Roasters

Website

https://alakef.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alakef Coffee Roasters is a 34-year-old specialty coffee roaster based in Duluth, Minnesota, selling organic, Fair Trade, and Rainforest Alliance certified coffee via DTC e-commerce, subscription, and wholesale to grocery and food service customers across the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE), Coffee, Tea & Cacao Experiences (Roastery Tours, Tastings) (THAJAGAH)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Organic coffee beans
• Coffee subscription service
• Wholesale coffee distribution
• Private label roasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Online retail sales through alakef.com selling coffee beans, tea, equipment, and accessories directly to consumers with shipping across the US
2. Coffee Club Subscription: Monthly subscription program delivering two 12oz bags of freshly roasted organic coffee. Auto-charges credit card monthly with $6 flat rate shipping for total of $28.99/month
3. Wholesale Distribution: B2B sales to grocery retailers (Lunds, Kowalski's, Hy-Vee), restaurants, and coffee shops. City Girl expected to exceed $2M revenue
4. Private Label/White Label: Roasted coffee under its own brand and private labeled for coffee shops and retailers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alakef Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster based in Duluth, Minnesota that sources green coffee directly from cooperatives in Peru, Sumatra, and other origins, then roasts it into a broad portfolio of espresso, single origin, flavored, certified organic, Rainforest Alliance, and decaffeinated blends. Finished coffee is sold through three channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce at alakef.com, a Coffee Club monthly subscription, and wholesale/private-label distribution to grocery retailers and food service operators across the U.S.

Product overview

Alakef Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee company founded in 1990 in Duluth, Minnesota, offering a comprehensive portfolio of coffee products and complementary offerings. The product line includes multiple espresso blends (Espresso Gold, Espresso Intermezzo, Espresso Primo, and their organic counterparts), signature house blends (Alakef Blend, Breakfast Blend, Italian Blend, Moroccan Blend, Scandinavian Blend), and single-origin offerings. The company specializes in both regular and decaf versions across all blends, with extensive certified organic and Rainforest Alliance certified options. A subscription service (Coffee Club) delivers organic, City Girl, and Roaster's Choice coffees monthly. A sister brand, City Girl Coffee Co. (launched 2015), focuses exclusively on sourcing from women-owned farms. Additional offerings include tea products, brewing equipment, a wholesale program, and the Alakef Gives community initiative. The company underwent a full rebranding in 2019 with new packaging and logo design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• City Girl Coffee Co. A specialty coffee brand launched by Alakef Coffee Roasters that sources exclusively from women-owned or managed farms and cooperatives. Five percent of profits are donated to the International Women's Coffee Alliance and Café Femenino. The brand features bright pink packaging and an unapologetically feminine marketing approach.

Products and services

• Espresso Coffee Blends Alakef's espresso lineup includes Espresso Gold (premium espresso blend, multiple grinds), Espresso Intermezzo (balanced light and dark roast), and Espresso Primo (full-bodied with smoky, chocolaty notes), alongside certified organic variants. Targeted at home espresso brewers and wholesale food-service buyers.
• Specialty House Blends (Alakef Blend, Breakfast Blend, Italian Blend, Moroccan Blend, Scandinavian Blend, French Roast, Bonfire Blend, Cafe Noir, Awakening Sensation, Cold Press) Alakef's house-blend collection includes the signature Alakef Blend, Breakfast Blend (caramel, chocolate, smoky), Italian Blend (hearty, bold, spicy dark roast), Moroccan Blend (sweet, rich, heavy-bodied), Scandinavian Blend (clean, bright, smoky light roast), French Roast (rich, bittersweet, smoky), Bonfire Blend, Cafe Noir, Awakening Sensation (mild, smoky, creamy), and Cold Press (sweet, smooth, rich — designed for cold brew). Available in regular and most cases decaf variants, sold in 12oz, 3lb, and 5lb sizes.
• Certified Organic Coffee Blends Certified organic variants across the espresso, house, Italian, Moroccan, Scandinavian, French Roast, Breakfast Blend, Bonfire Blend, and Cold Press lines, with many carrying Rainforest Alliance certification (e.g., 60% Rainforest Alliance on blends such as Organic Espresso Royale, Organic Italian Blend, Organic Breakfast Blend, Organic Bonfire Blend). Alakef was one of the first coffee companies in Minnesota to achieve organic certification.
• Decaffeinated Coffee Blends (Mountain Water Process) Decaffeinated versions of signature blends (Alakef Blend, Breakfast Blend, Italian Blend, Moroccan Blend, Scandinavian Blend, French Roast, Organic Breakfast Blend, Organic Italian Blend, Organic Moroccan Blend, Organic Scandinavian Blend, Organic French Roast), decaffeinated using the Mountain Water process. Organic Breakfast Blend Decaf is priced at $14.99 per 12oz bag.
• Single Origin Coffees Single-origin specialty coffees sourced from cooperatives in South America, Africa, and Asia (City Girl Coffee sources from 8 to 10 countries), reflecting Alakef's direct-trade sourcing model and Fair Trade certified practices.
• Flavored Coffees Alakef flavored coffee line within the specialty coffee category, sold through the e-commerce storefront alongside regular and decaf blends.
• Green (Unroasted) Coffee Beans Unroasted green coffee beans (including a decaf green bean variant) for home and small-batch roasting, available through the alakef.com storefront.
• Coffee Club Subscription Service Subscription service delivering two 12oz bags of freshly roasted coffee monthly at $28.99 with $6 flat-rate shipping (total $28.99/month including shipping). Available in three variants: organic Coffee Club, City Girl Coffee Club, and Roaster's Choice Club. Auto-charges a credit card each month.
• Tea Collection (Black, Chai, Green, Herbal, Oolong, White) Complete tea assortment including Black, Chai, Green, Herbal, Oolong, and White teas, sourced from various origins and sold direct-to-consumer through the website.
• Coffee Brewing Equipment and Accessories Brewing equipment and accessories for home and commercial coffee preparation, sold through the alakef.com storefront as a complement to coffee purchases.
• City Girl Coffee Co. (Women-Empowerment Sub-Brand) Sister brand that sources exclusively from women-owned or managed farms and cooperatives, with 5% of profits donated to the International Women's Coffee Alliance and Café Femenino. Featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Food & Wine, Refinery29, and the TODAY Show. Sales grew 300% year-over-year and are expected to exceed $2 million. Distribution includes Lunds & Byerlys, Kowalski's Markets, Hy-Vee, and Giant Food (169-store East Coast expansion beginning fall 2019).
• Wholesale Distribution Program B2B wholesale program through which Alakef and City Girl Coffee products are supplied to grocery retailers (Lunds & Byerlys, Kowalski's Markets, Hy-Vee, Giant Food), independent co-op grocers, and food service operators including restaurants and coffee shops.
• Private Label / White Label Coffee Roasting Contract roasting service in which Alakef roasts coffee under its own brand and under private label for coffee shops and retailers looking for a quality roaster to produce coffee under their own brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• City Girl sales grew 300% year-over-year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 and core.

• Fox SportsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Corporate partnership introducing City Girl and Alakef brands through sports marketing and sponsorships.
• International Women's Coffee Alliance (IWCA)coreOthers · 1 January 2015City Girl Coffee donates 5% of all profits to IWCA, which supports women's participation in all aspects of the coffee industry. Alyza Bohbot serves as marketing co-chairwoman of IWCA.
• Café FemeninocoreOthers · 1 January 2015City Girl Coffee donates 5% of all profits to Café Femenino, which pays premiums for beans from women-led cooperatives and pays female members directly for their harvests, empowering women in coffee-growing communities.
• Espresso MidwestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Early business partnership where Espresso Midwest sold coffee machines while Alakef provided coffee. This mutually beneficial relationship helped both companies grow in the early years, with Espresso Midwest representatives recommending Alakef coffee to machine purchasers at trade shows like Coffee Fest.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Counter Culture Coffee: Durham, NC-based specialty roaster focused on sustainability, transparency and education; sells via DTC, wholesale to cafés and grocery, and subscription Tastings program. Closely aligned with Alakef on values-driven positioning and craft roasting at similar scale.
• Cameroons Coffee & Chocolates / Cameron's Coffee: Minneapolis-area specialty coffee roaster with broad grocery, food service, and office coffee distribution; private label/white label capability. Direct competitor for the same Midwest retail and foodservice accounts (Kowalski's, Lunds, Hy-Vee) where Alakef places City Girl and Alakef SKUs.
• Equator Coffees: San Francisco Bay Area specialty roaster known for sustainability, women-led leadership, and purpose-driven brand. Mission/values positioning (women in coffee, climate leadership) directly parallels City Girl Coffee, making it a relevant brand-narrative and channel comparable.
• Colectivo Coffee: Wisconsin-based specialty roaster and cafe chain with strong Midwest grocery wholesale and a longstanding roastery-cafe model. Direct regional competitor to Alakef in the Upper Midwest grocery channel and a useful comp on the roastery-cafe growth trajectory.
• Paradise Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster emphasizing estate-direct sourcing and single-origin transparency; sells via DTC and wholesale to specialty grocers and foodservice. Similar size and direct-trade storytelling approach, competing for the same ethically sourced, single-origin shopper.
• Peace Coffee: Minneapolis-based specialty coffee roaster with strong organic, fair trade, and direct trade credentials; DTC e-commerce, Coffee Club subscription, and wholesale distribution to Twin Cities co-ops, grocery, and foodservice. Operates in the exact same regional footprint and channel mix as Alakef, making it the closest like-for-like comparable.

Broad incumbents

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland/Hudson Valley specialty roaster, owned by Peet's (Lavazza). Direct premium specialty coffee peer with strong wholesale footprint into groceries, cafes, and office coffee; benchmark for direct trade sourcing and proprietary roast profiles. Demonstrates the scale path Alakef could pursue via acquisition.
• Caribou Coffee: Midwest-origin specialty coffee company with roastery, cafes, grocery wholesale, and DTC subscription (Coffee Perks). Comparable to Alakef in geography, multi-channel distribution, and category positioning, though much larger and now operating as a national chain under JAB ownership. Henry Stein, City Girl's GM, was a former Caribou marketer.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based specialty roaster pioneering direct trade and barista-led retail; now owned by Peet's. Overlapping direct-trade sourcing philosophy, Midwest origin and wholesale into grocery and café channels puts it in direct competition for high-end retail placements.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Philadelphia-headquartered specialty roaster with national DTC, extensive grocery wholesale, and a draft latte RTD line. Comparable across multi-channel GTM (DTC + wholesale + ready-to-drink) and premium positioning; demonstrates how specialty roasters can scale into CPG-grade distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alakefcoffee
• Facebookfacebook.com/Alakef.Coffee
• Instagraminstagram.com/alakef.coffee
• Pinterestpinterest.com/alakef
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alakef-citygirlcoffee

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Alakef Coffee Roasters