What Tribe does

Tribe (TRIBE COFFEE / トライブ) is a privately held, founder-owned specialty coffee bean specialty store founded in 2009 and headquartered at 101 Matsuda Tenant, 20-7 Higashiarai, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan. Representative Yasuo Koike (小池康雄) curates and roasts coffee on-site using the Cup of Excellence 8-criteria scoring system, stocking only beans that score 80+ points; roasting occurs daily at roughly 7 AM, followed by a daily cupping quality check before the shop opens at approximately 10 AM. The product line centers on specialty coffee beans sold in 250g and 500g bags, complemented by proprietary formats including drip packs (¥180/pack post-Feb 2024), RTD Liquid Iced Coffee produced via slow nel-drip extraction, 250ml Latte Base in regular and decaf, iced coffee steep-packs, branded canisters, and water drippers, alongside seasonal limited-edition blends (Tanabata Blend, Father's Day Blend, Valentine's Blend, Christmas Blend, Anniversary Blend) and a Summer Gift sub-brand.

Revenue is generated through four streams: in-store and online retail of coffee beans, beverage sales (espresso-based and cold drinks, with a complimentary drink offered with bean purchases), a nationwide online-only monthly subscription delivering curated limited-edition blends, and prepared RTD/pre-made coffee products. Distribution combines a single physical storefront (closed Mondays) with a nationwide e-commerce site (coffee-tribe.com), the Minne handmade marketplace (since February 2017), and a corporate/private-label B2B entry point for custom drip packs and gifting. Customer segments are primarily individual coffee enthusiasts across Japan (with strong local Tsukuba foot traffic supported by tasting counter and complementary beverages), with a secondary segment of SMB and corporate clients — including custom private-label work for Jin Orthopedic Clinic, co-developed products with Krebb Home Tsukuba, and wholesale supply to cafés and bakeries such as Wacha (Kiyose, Tokyo), Patisserie Magnolia, and try try try.

The business is bootstrapped with no external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries; headcount is documented as a small team under 10 employees. Strategic positioning is reinforced by ownership membership in the C-COOP joint green-coffee purchasing group (since at least 2012) and recurring participation in SCAJ industry exhibitions (2016 and 2017 confirmed). Marketing is content-led via a 344+ page blog, Instagram (@tribe_coffee since August 2016), Facebook, and local Tsukuba festivals — with stamp-card loyalty and complimentary beverages supporting repeat visits.

Name

Tribe

Legal name

トライブ (TRIBE)

Website

https://coffee-tribe.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Tribe (TRIBE COFFEE) is a privately held specialty coffee bean specialty store founded in 2009 in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, selling Cup of Excellence 80+ point beans, drip packs, and ready-to-drink coffee via a single retail shop, nationwide e-commerce, and a monthly subscription to consumers and SMBs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Retail

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee beans
• Coffee roasting services
• Ready-to-drink coffee
• Coffee subscription box
• Coffee retail shop

Headquarters

HQ city

Tsukuba

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Coffee Bean Retail (In-store and Online): Tribe sells specialty coffee beans — both single origins and proprietary blends — directly to consumers through its physical retail store and e-commerce website. Products include 250g and 500g bags of beans, drip packs, and seasonal limited-edition blends. Beans are roasted fresh daily.
2. Beverage Sales (Espresso Drinks, Take-out): Tribe sells espresso-based drinks (cappuccino, latte, americano, etc.) and cold beverages at the physical shop. All drinks are available for take-out. Customers who purchase coffee beans receive a complimentary beverage.
3. Online Coffee Bean Subscription: An online-only monthly subscription service delivers limited-edition blended and single-origin coffee beans to subscribers each month. The shop owner curates and recommends optimal beans for the month.
4. Ready-to-Drink and Prepared Products: Products such as liquid ice coffee (リキッドアイスコーヒー), latte base (regular and decaf), and ice coffee packs (水出しアイスコーヒーパック) are sold as prepared, ready-to-use consumer products for home consumption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tribe is a specialty coffee bean specialty store that curates, roasts, and retails single-origin and blended coffees evaluated at 80+ points by Cup of Excellence standards. Sales are conducted through a single physical café/retail shop in Tsukuba and a nationwide e-commerce shop, supplemented by ready-to-drink products (liquid iced coffee, latte base, drip packs, iced coffee packs) and a monthly online bean subscription.

Product overview

Tribe is a specialty coffee bean specialty store (スペシャルティコーヒー豆专卖店) offering a curated portfolio centered on specialty coffee beans rated 80+ points by Cup of Excellence standards. The product lineup includes retail coffee beans (single origin and seasonal blends), ready-to-drink and ready-to-brew coffee products (liquid iced coffee, latte base, drip packs, iced coffee packs), and brewing accessories (canisters, water drippers). The shop also features seasonal limited-edition blends such as Tanabata Blend, Father's Day Blend, Valentine's Blend, Christmas Blend, and Anniversary Blend. A Summer Gift sub-brand bundles multiple products for gifting occasions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialty Coffee Beans

Quantifiable outcome

• Only beans scoring 80+ points by Cup of Excellence 8-criteria standards are stocked
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Jin Orthopedic Clinic (じん整形)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 August 2016Custom 'Arigato Coffee' drip pack created for Jin Orthopedic Clinic, featuring the clinic's branding. Used at a bowling tournament event. A second custom drip pack was later created with Ibarider (local mascot) for a ramen festival. Demonstrates Tribe's private-label custom product capability.
• C-COOP (Coffee Joint Purchasing Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribe is a member of C-COOP, a green coffee bean joint purchasing group. The owner participates in group activities including attending SCAJ exhibitions (2016, 2017) as a C-COOP member, sourcing high-quality COE-winning beans together with other specialty coffee professionals. This partnership is central to Tribe's sourcing strategy.
• Wacha (和茶)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA café in Kiyose City, Tokyo that uses Tribe coffee at their establishment. This is a customer-reseller relationship where Wacha serves Tribe coffee to their own customers.
• Patisserie Magnolia (パティスリーマグノリア)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA patisserie that creates a 'Café Cup' dessert using TRIBE blend coffee jelly. This is a product co-development collaboration where Magnolia incorporates Tribe's coffee into a finished food product.
• try try tryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA pancake café near the shop that is a long-term customer. Tribe provided coffee consulting and proposed a custom blend for the café's menu. Ongoing advisory relationship.
• Kurobo Seika (クロボー製菓)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKurobo Seika's pea snack products (えんどう豆かりんとう) are sold at Tribe's shop as a complementary food pairing item. This is a retail consignment-style arrangement.
• Krebb Home Tsukuba (クレバリーホームつくば店)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collaboration product was created with a craft company for the opening of Krebb Home's Tsukuba store. Tribe assisted in the product development.
• SCAJ (Specialty Coffee Association of Japan)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSCAJ organizes the largest specialty coffee event in Asia. Tribe participated in SCAJ2016 and SCAJ2017 (along with at least 2012–2017 as part of C-COOP) as an exhibitor providing cupping and espresso tastings. This is a key industry association and trade show partnership for sourcing, networking, and brand visibility.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Onibus Coffee: Tokyo-based specialty coffee roaster and café operator with multiple locations and direct farm relationships. Directly comparable as a Japanese specialty coffee peer focused on single-origin sourcing, daily roasting, and café/retail operations serving a similar premium consumer base.
• Streamer Coffee Company: Tokyo-based specialty coffee roaster and café with national brand recognition. Comparable as a Japanese specialty peer with combined roasting, café, and branded retail operations targeting premium consumers.
• Bear Pond Espresso: Tokyo micro-roaster specializing in single-origin espresso with cult following. Comparable as a small-batch Japanese specialty coffee operator focused on quality, café service, and brand-driven retail.
• Coffee Supreme: Specialty coffee roaster with cafés, online retail, and subscription offerings. Comparable to Tribe as a small-to-mid specialty roaster combining physical café, online subscription, and direct-to-consumer bean sales.
• Fuglen Coffee: Norwegian-origin specialty coffee roaster with a flagship Tokyo café. Comparable as a small-batch specialty roaster combining café and retail operations with a curated, design-forward brand similar to Tribe.
• Glitch Coffee & Roasters: Tokyo specialty coffee roaster and café emphasizing direct trade, Cup of Excellence–quality beans, and precise brewing. Highly comparable to Tribe in curation-driven sourcing, COE-grade standards, small-format café, and online retail.

Broad incumbents

• % Arabica: Internationally recognized specialty coffee brand originating in Kyoto with global retail expansion. Comparable as a broader incumbent in premium Japanese specialty coffee with stronger brand reach and capital backing than Tribe.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Global specialty coffee roaster and café operator with substantial venture backing and Japan retail presence. Comparable as a large-scale incumbent in the same fresh-roasted, single-origin specialty coffee category Tribe operates in.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Established US specialty coffee roaster with cafés and national DTC distribution. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating the same direct-to-consumer, café-plus-subscription specialty coffee model Tribe executes at smaller scale.
• Sarutahiko Coffee: Established Japanese specialty coffee chain with multiple retail locations nationwide. Comparable as a larger incumbent operating in the same premium Japanese specialty coffee category with a broader footprint than Tribe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cofee.tribe
• Instagraminstagram.com/tribe_coffee

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 Tribe