Joe Van Gogh
Joe Van Gogh is a 31-year-old specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator in North Carolina's Triangle, running six cafes, a DTC e-commerce and subscription platform, and a B2B wholesale program, serving coffee enthusiasts and partner cafes under USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified brands including the Café Femenino women-farmer line.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersHillsborough, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Joe Van Gogh does
Joe Van Gogh is a specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator founded in 1991 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company sources and roasts specialty coffee at its Hillsborough, NC facility (505 Meadowlands Drive, Unit 101), with operations spanning six company-owned retail cafes in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform (shipping across the US plus Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands), and a B2B wholesale program supplying coffee, syrups, brewing equipment, training, and fulfillment services to other cafes and businesses. The product portfolio consists of proprietary blends (Auteur House Blend, Sea Turtle, New Wave, Moonlight, Maestro, Red River, Big Sleep, Long Goodbye), single-origin coffees (Ethiopia Sidama, Kenya French Roast, Nicaragua Selva Negra, Burundi Kayanza), the Café Femenino line (USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified coffees supporting women farmers), and a roaster's-choice subscription (Joe's Choice) with a 20% subscription discount. Its core technology is specialty coffee roasting and brewing, and its customer base is split between individual coffee enthusiasts (DTC and subscription) and B2B wholesale partners.
The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model. Consumer revenue comes from one-time retail coffee purchases and recurring subscriptions (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly deliveries with customizable grind options), while wholesale revenue is generated through transactional supply relationships with partner cafes. Distribution channels are domestic for cafes and wholesale, and effectively global for the e-commerce storefront. Marketing is conducted through the joevangogh.com website, email/newsletter, social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), and SMS messaging.
In February 2026, Joe Van Gogh was acquired by FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective, a Kansas City-based multi-brand specialty coffee network backed by Great Range Capital. The transaction expanded FairWave's portfolio to 14 coffee, tea, and bakery brands operating over 40 locations across Kansas City, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Baltimore/Annapolis, and North Carolina's Triangle. Founder Robbie Roberts remained with the company following the acquisition. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the company continues to operate under the Joe Van Gogh brand.
Joe Van Gogh firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Joe Van Gogh
- Legal name
- Joe Van Gogh, Inc.
- Website
- https://joevangogh.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Joe Van Gogh is a 31-year-old specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator in North Carolina's Triangle, running six cafes, a DTC e-commerce and subscription platform, and a B2B wholesale program, serving coffee enthusiasts and partner cafes under USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified brands including the Café Femenino women-farmer line.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Joe Van Gogh industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Roasting
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)
Keywords
Where Joe Van Gogh is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hillsborough
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Joe Van Gogh business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Coffee Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of roasted coffee beans and blends through company website and cafes, including single-origin, blended, and organic options.
- Coffee Subscriptions: Recurring subscription service offering 20% discount, delivering coffee on weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly schedules with customizable grind options.
- Wholesale/B2B: B2B wholesale program supplying coffee, syrups, equipment, and supplies to other cafes and businesses, including training and fulfillment services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Single-origin and blended coffees with subscription option |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Joe Van Gogh product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Joe Van Gogh roasts and sells specialty coffee under its own brand through company-owned cafes, an e-commerce storefront with a customizable subscription service, and a B2B wholesale program that supplies coffee, equipment, training, and fulfillment to other cafes and businesses. The retail catalog includes proprietary blends (Auteur, Sea Turtle, New Wave, Moonlight, Maestro, Red River), single-origin offerings (Ethiopia Sidama, Nicaragua Selva Negra, Kenya French Roast, Burundi Kayanza), the Café Femenino women-farmer line, and branded accessories.
Product overview
Joe Van Gogh is a specialty coffee roaster and cafe chain founded in 1991 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company operates as a single-product-focused specialty coffee brand offering retail coffee products, coffee subscriptions, and cafe services. The core product portfolio consists of proprietary coffee blends (Auteur House Blend, Sea Turtle, New Wave, Moonlight, Maestro, Red River) and single-origin coffees (Ethiopia Sidama, Kenya French Roast, Nicaragua Selva Negra, Burundi Kayanza), plus the Café Femenino line supporting women farmers. The company also offers a Roaster's Choice subscription service where customers receive monthly curated selections. In addition to retail and subscription sales, Joe Van Gogh operates six cafes in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area and provides a comprehensive wholesale program for B2B customers including coffee products, brewing equipment (Aeropress, Chemex, Kalita Wave), cafe supplies, and training services. As of February 2026, the company was acquired by FairWave Coffee Collective, expanding its presence within a specialty coffee network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Café Femenino: A program and coffee sourcing initiative on a mission to ending the cycle of poverty in coffee growing lands by giving women farmers decision-making power over the coffee they grow. Includes Café Fem Espresso and Café Fem Blend.
- Joe's Choice
Products and services
- Auteur (House Blend) Joe Van Gogh's signature house blend, available as a core retail coffee product with subscription options for individual consumers.
- Sea Turtle (Organic Blend) Organic coffee blend with a balanced flavor profile, available for retail purchase and subscription to individual consumers.
- New Wave (Organic French Roast Blend) Organic French roast blend providing a darker roast option for retail and subscription consumers.
- Moonlight (Organic Mocha Java Blend) Organic Mocha Java blend combining two classic coffee origins for a rich, complex flavor; available via retail and subscription.
- Maestro (Espresso Blend) Espresso-specific blend optimized for espresso extraction and milk-based drinks; available via retail and subscription.
- Red River (Organic Blend) Organic blend with a distinct regional character, available as a retail and subscription product for individual consumers.
- Big Sleep (Decaf Blend) Decaffeinated blend for consumers seeking coffee without caffeine; available via retail and subscription.
- Long Goodbye (Decaf Organic Mocha Java) Organic decaf Mocha Java blend combining decaffeinated coffee with chocolate notes; available via retail and subscription.
- Ethiopia Sidama (Organic Single-Origin) Single-origin organic coffee from Ethiopia's Sidama region, featuring distinctive African coffee characteristics; available via retail and subscription.
- Nicaragua Selva Negra (Single-Origin) Single-origin coffee from Nicaragua's Selva Negra estate, available with subscription discount for individual consumers.
- Kenya French Roast (Single-Origin) Single-origin Kenyan coffee roasted to a French roast level, offering bright acidity with dark roast development.
- Mexico (Café Femenino Organic Single-Origin) Café Femenino organic single-origin coffee from Mexico, supporting women farmers; USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified.
- Peru (Café Femenino Organic Single-Origin) Café Femenino organic single-origin coffee from Peru's Lambayeque region, sourced from the CECANOR co-op; USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified.
- Café Fem Espresso (Café Femenino Organic Blend) Café Femenino organic espresso blend featuring brown sugar, nutty, and dark chocolate tasting notes with a dark roast profile; USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified.
- Café Fem Blend (Café Femenino Organic Blend) Café Femenino organic blend combining coffees from women farmers, featuring apricot, dried fruit, and hazelnut tasting notes at medium roast; USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified.
- To Have and Have Not (Half-Caff Blend) Half-caffeinated blend for coffee enthusiasts who want to reduce caffeine intake while still enjoying coffee, with brown sugar, honey, and cheerwine tasting notes.
- Prismatic Blend North Carolina pride-themed seasonal blend featuring prismatic color packaging.
- Burundi Kayanza (Single-Origin) Single-origin coffee from Burundi's Kayanza region, available via retail and subscription.
- Joe's Choice (Roaster's Choice Subscription) Monthly rotating coffee subscription where roasters select from beloved blends and new releases, allowing customers to be surprised with curated selections.
- Coffee Subscription Service Flexible coffee subscription service allowing customers to choose coffee, grind size, and delivery frequency with 20% subscription savings, editable or cancellable at any time.
- Cafe Operations (6 Locations) Six cafe locations in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina serving Joe Van Gogh coffee products to walk-in consumers.
- Wholesale Coffee Program B2B wholesale program offering coffee, equipment, training, and fulfillment services to other cafes and businesses, leveraging over 30 years of roasting and cafe operating experience.
- City Lights Blend Wholesale-exclusive blend available only to business customers for resale through their own cafes.
- Organic Espresso Blend Organic espresso blend available exclusively to wholesale business customers.
- Organic Decaf Espresso Organic decaf espresso blend for wholesale customers requiring decaf options on their menu.
- Sunrise Blend Medium-dark roast blend from Central and South American origins featuring sweet, balanced, mild tasting notes in a washed process; available exclusively to wholesale customers.
- JVG Fellow Carter Move Travel Mug Branded Fellow Carter Move travel mug accessory available for retail purchase at $35 for individual consumers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20% subscription discount
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Joe Van Gogh
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Joe Van Gogh technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Joe Van Gogh partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- FairWave Coffee CollectivecoreFairWave Specialty Coffee Collective acquired Joe Van Gogh in February 2026, expanding FairWave's regional footprint following its 2025 acquisition of Black & White Coffee Roasters. FairWave now holds 14 coffee, tea and bakery brands operating in more than 40 locations across Kansas City, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Baltimore/Annapolis, and North Carolina's Triangle. Founder Robbie Roberts will remain with the company following the acquisition.
- Café FemeninocoreCafé Femenino is a program providing women coffee farmers decision-making power over the coffee they grow. Joe Van Gogh offers Café Femenino certified organic coffees including espresso blend, house blend, Mexico, and Peru single-origins, with the mission of ending the cycle of poverty in coffee growing lands.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Joe Van Gogh competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Verve Coffee Roasters: Santa Cruz-origin specialty roaster with cafés, DTC, and wholesale; comparable as a multi-channel specialty brand combining roastery operations, owned retail, and subscription at similar scale to Joe Van Gogh.
- Counter Culture Coffee: Durham, NC-based specialty coffee roaster operating training centers, wholesale accounts, and a subscription program — directly comparable as a regional specialty roaster with B2B focus and shared North Carolina roots.
- Black & White Coffee Roasters: Triangle-area specialty roaster that joined FairWave in March 2025 and now shares corporate ownership with Joe Van Gogh; directly comparable as a sister brand serving the same wholesale and café market from inside the same collective.
- Cocoa Cinnamon: Durham, NC coffee roaster and café operator serving the same Triangle market; comparable as a small specialty roaster with company-owned cafés and ethical sourcing focus directly competing for the same local customer base.
- Larry's Coffee: Raleigh, NC-based specialty roaster with a wholesale and subscription program founded around the same era; comparable as a regional specialty competitor in the same Triangle geography with overlapping café, wholesale, and DTC channels.
Broad incumbents
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland-origin specialty coffee leader acquired by Peet's/LA-Colombe lineage, operating national cafés, wholesale, and DTC; comparable as a larger specialty peer whose wholesale and subscription channels compete directly with Joe Van Gogh at greater scale.
- Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based specialty roaster with wholesale, direct trade sourcing, and cafés; comparable as an established specialty incumbent competing for the same high-end wholesale and DTC specialty customers.
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Philadelphia-based specialty roaster with national café, wholesale, and canned-DTC lines; comparable as a multi-channel specialty incumbent pursuing the same wholesale, café, and DTC customer overlap as Joe Van Gogh.
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Oakland-origin specialty roaster now owned by Nestlé, with a national café footprint and DTC subscription; comparable as a scaled specialty brand pushing into similar wholesale and subscription markets with significantly deeper marketing and capital.
Emerging players
- Trade Coffee: DTC coffee subscription marketplace curating roasters across the country; partially overlapping as a DTC subscription channel that competes with Joe Van Gogh's direct subscription for the same at-home specialty consumer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Joe Van Gogh social profiles
Digital presenceJoe Van Gogh compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Joe Van Gogh financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Joe Van Gogh leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Joe Van Gogh funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Joe Van Gogh 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 Joe Van Gogh
What does Joe Van Gogh do?
Joe Van Gogh roasts and sells specialty coffee under its own brand through company-owned cafes, an e-commerce storefront with a customizable subscription service, and a B2B wholesale program that supplies coffee, equipment, training, and fulfillment to other cafes and businesses. The retail catalog includes proprietary blends (Auteur, Sea Turtle, New Wave, Moonlight, Maestro, Red River), single-origin offerings (Ethiopia Sidama, Nicaragua Selva Negra, Kenya French Roast, Burundi Kayanza), the Café Femenino women-farmer line, and branded accessories.
Is Joe Van Gogh a public or private company?
Joe Van Gogh is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Joe Van Gogh founded?
Joe Van Gogh was founded in 1991. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Joe Van Gogh based?
Joe Van Gogh is headquartered in Hillsborough, United States, in the North America region.
How does Joe Van Gogh make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Coffee Sales are the primary driver. The others are coffee Subscriptions and wholesale/B2B.
Who are Joe Van Gogh's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Verve Coffee Roasters, Counter Culture Coffee, Black & White Coffee Roasters, Cocoa Cinnamon and Larry's Coffee. Broad incumbents are Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Intelligentsia Coffee, La Colombe Coffee Roasters and Blue Bottle Coffee. Trade Coffee is listed as an emerging player.
Does Joe Van Gogh have an API?
No public API is recorded for Joe Van Gogh.
What industry is Joe Van Gogh in?
Joe Van Gogh's product category is Specialty Coffee Roasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAE, Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes), with a secondary code of THAFADAA, Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave). Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 5810.