Peregrine Espresso
Peregrine Espresso is a privately held, founder-owned specialty coffee company operating two cafés (Eastern Market and Union Market) in Washington, DC, serving general public consumers with espresso drinks and rotating single-origin coffees roasted in-house by its wholly owned subsidiary, Small Planes Coffee.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Peregrine Espresso does
Peregrine Espresso is a privately held specialty coffee company founded in 2008 by Ryan and Jill Jensen in Washington, DC. The firm operates two physical cafés — Eastern Market at 660 Pennsylvania Ave SE and Union Market at 1309 5th St NE — and serves general consumer foot traffic seeking espresso-based drinks, single-origin and seasonal-blend coffee, flash-brewed iced coffee, nitro coffee (Eastern Market only), pastries from Bluebird Bakery, and Rishi Tea. Through its wholly owned roasting subsidiary Small Planes Coffee, the company controls bean sourcing and roasting internally, offering rotating single-origin coffees and seasonal blends to both retail locations.
The technical footprint is intentionally light: a Squarespace-hosted brand site for marketing and contact, a Square (square.site) online ordering integration enabling line-skipping pickup at both cafés, Instagram for community and hiring updates, and Google Forms for job applications. There is no disclosed proprietary software, mobile app, API, AI/ML capability, or patents. Operational differentiators are non-technological — barista talent (multiple US Coffee Championship and America's Best Coffeehouse competition placements between 2010 and 2019), sustainability practices (composting and recycling, wind power, reusable glass milk bottles), and a transparent employee wage chart.
The business model is direct-to-consumer retail coffee sales through two storefronts, supplemented by occasional educational events and barista competitions that drive earned media. Headcount sits in the 11–50 range and the company is founder-owned with no institutional capital, no parent company, and no disclosed funding rounds; ownership remains with the Jensen family alongside an operating team of baristas and store managers. Expansion beyond Washington DC has not been disclosed, and 2014 was the last material footprint expansion (the MidCity opening has not persisted in current operations).
Peregrine Espresso firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Peregrine Espresso
- Legal name
- Peregrine Espresso
- Website
- https://peregrineespresso.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Peregrine Espresso is a privately held, founder-owned specialty coffee company operating two cafés (Eastern Market and Union Market) in Washington, DC, serving general public consumers with espresso drinks and rotating single-origin coffees roasted in-house by its wholly owned subsidiary, Small Planes Coffee.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Peregrine Espresso industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Shop Services
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- 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 Peregrine Espresso is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Peregrine Espresso business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Coffee Sales: In-person and online coffee sales through two physical café locations in Washington, DC. Customers can order via Square online ordering for quick pickup at either location.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Peregrine Espresso product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Peregrine Espresso operates two specialty coffee cafés in Washington, DC (Eastern Market and Union Market), serving espresso-based beverages, flash-brewed iced coffee, nitro coffee, tea, and pastries. The business is vertically integrated through its owned roasting company, Small Planes Coffee, which supplies rotating single-origin beans and seasonal blends. Online ordering via Square enables skip-the-line pickup at both locations.
Product overview
Peregrine Espresso is a specialty coffee shop operating two locations in Washington, DC (Eastern Market and Union Market). The core offering is espresso-based beverages and premium coffee drinks, with the company's own roasting company Small Planes Coffee providing rotating single-origin beans and seasonal blends. The business also offers online ordering via Square, pastries from Bluebird Bakery, Rishi Tea, and Omanhene Hot Chocolate. Founded in 2008 by Ryan and Jill Jensen, the company emphasizes quality coffee, friendly service, barista education, and environmental sustainability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Small Planes Coffee: The company's own coffee roasting company, producing rotating selections of Single-Origin Beans and Seasonal Blends for Peregrine Espresso locations
Products and services
- Espresso Drinks and Coffee Beverages
- Small Planes Coffee Roasted Beans Small-batch roasted single-origin coffees and seasonal blends produced by the company's owned roasting company, Small Planes Coffee, used in Peregrine Espresso's cafés and available for retail purchase.
- Bluebird Bakery Pastries Fresh pastries sourced from Bluebird Bakery and sold at both Peregrine Espresso café locations as a complementary food offering to the beverage menu.
Companies that use Peregrine Espresso
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Peregrine Espresso technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Peregrine Espresso partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Small Planes CoffeecoreSmall Planes Coffee is the company's own roasting company founded by Ryan and Jill Jensen. They provide rotating selections of single-origin beans and seasonal blends to Peregrine Espresso locations, enabling vertical integration and quality control over coffee sourcing and roasting.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Peregrine Espresso competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Philz Coffee: Specialty coffee cafe chain acquired by Peets, known for customized made-to-order coffee drinks. Comparable as a multi-location specialty cafe brand emphasizing craft preparation and a differentiated customer experience.
- Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster with strong sustainability, education, and direct-trade positioning. Comparable as a specialty roaster with similar values-driven brand and DC-area training/education programming.
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Pioneering third-wave specialty coffee roaster with cafes across major US cities. Comparable as an established roaster-cafe operator in the same premium single-origin category.
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Nestle-owned specialty coffee roaster and cafe chain with a nationwide footprint. Comparable as a larger-scale roaster-cafe pioneer operating in the same third-wave specialty category.
- Intelligentsia Coffee: Pioneering third-wave specialty coffee roaster with cafes in multiple US cities. Comparable as a specialty roaster-cafe emphasizing direct-trade sourcing and barista education, similar to Peregrine's Small Planes Coffee and education focus.
Direct peers
- Compass Coffee: Washington, DC-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with multiple locations across the city. Most directly comparable to Peregrine given shared DC footprint, vertically integrated roasting, and similar third-wave cafe positioning.
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Philadelphia-born specialty coffee roaster with significant DC cafe presence and its own wholesale draft latte program. Directly comparable as a roaster-cafe hybrid competing in the same DC specialty market.
- Bluestone Lane: Specialty coffee cafe operator with multiple DC locations emphasizing quality espresso and a curated cafe experience. Comparable as a similarly positioned multi-store cafe brand serving premium coffee consumers in the same metro.
- Wydown Coffee: Small specialty coffee operator in the DC area focused on single-origin beans and quality espresso. Comparable as a similarly sized, single-metro specialty cafe operator competing for the same DC coffee consumer.
Emerging players
- Verve Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with locations on the West Coast and growing national presence. Comparable as a similarly positioned roaster-cafe emphasizing single-origin beans and a craft barista experience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Peregrine Espresso social profiles
Digital presencePeregrine Espresso financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Peregrine Espresso leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Peregrine Espresso subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Peregrine Espresso funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Peregrine Espresso 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 Peregrine Espresso
What does Peregrine Espresso do?
Peregrine Espresso operates two specialty coffee cafés in Washington, DC (Eastern Market and Union Market), serving espresso-based beverages, flash-brewed iced coffee, nitro coffee, tea, and pastries. The business is vertically integrated through its owned roasting company, Small Planes Coffee, which supplies rotating single-origin beans and seasonal blends. Online ordering via Square enables skip-the-line pickup at both locations.
Is Peregrine Espresso a public or private company?
Peregrine Espresso is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Peregrine Espresso founded?
Peregrine Espresso was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Peregrine Espresso based?
Peregrine Espresso is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Peregrine Espresso make money?
One revenue line is on record: retail Coffee Sales.
Who are Peregrine Espresso's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Philz Coffee, Counter Culture Coffee, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Blue Bottle Coffee and Intelligentsia Coffee. Direct peers are Compass Coffee, La Colombe Coffee Roasters, Bluestone Lane and Wydown Coffee. Verve Coffee Roasters is listed as an emerging player.
Does Peregrine Espresso have an API?
No public API is recorded for Peregrine Espresso.
What industry is Peregrine Espresso in?
Peregrine Espresso's product category is Specialty Coffee Shop Services. 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 722515 and its SIC code is 5810.