1369 Coffeehouse

What 1369 Coffeehouse does

1369 Coffeehouse is an independent, owner-operated specialty coffeehouse headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, operating two retail locations — Inman Square (1369 Cambridge St., opened January 1993) and Central Square (757 Massachusetts Ave., opened June 1994). The business serves a primarily local Cambridge consumer base with an "in-store as third place" positioning, complemented by pickup catering for events and B2C delivery of whole bean coffees and loose leaf teas. The product portfolio centers on espresso-based drinks, a proprietary cold-brew toddy method used for iced coffee (in continuous use since 2001), house-made chai and syrups, and over 25 varieties of loose leaf teas. Food offerings (breakfast and lunch items, in-house baked cookies, locally sourced bagels and scones) and ancillary programs (a local-artist wall program operational since 2018 via Beacon.ai, and a rotating "Drink for a Cause" nonprofit partnership with $1-per-drink donations) extend the core coffeehouse proposition into community engagement rather than adjacent vertical expansion.

Underlying operations are deliberately low-tech and craft-oriented rather than platform-driven. Cold-brew production relies on a proprietary toddy extraction method rather than hot-brew leftovers, and a documented 10-day-from-roast freshness standard (with weekly bean delivery) is treated as a hard operational rule. Sales and fulfillment occur through walk-in counter service at both locations, a proprietary online ordering platform (1369orders.com) handling pickup orders, catering pickup arranged directly with stores, and Square-powered e-gift cards. The company uses third-party tools — Square for payments/gifting, Beacon.ai for art sales, Google Maps for directions, and a WordPress-based content site — but operates no proprietary mobile app, no API product, and no disclosed ML/data systems.

The business model is a multi-stream retail operation: in-store food and beverage sales, retail whole bean and loose leaf tea sales, online pickup ordering, bulk event catering, and gift cards. Distribution is domestic and limited to Cambridge; the company has remained independent for 30+ years with no parent company, no institutional investors, no funding rounds, and no franchises. Primary customer segments are split between walk-in community/regular customers and local businesses or event organizers using catering; named commercial customers are absent and pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

1369 Coffeehouse

Legal name

1369 Coffee House

Website

https://1369coffeehouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

1369 Coffeehouse is an independent specialty coffeehouse operating two retail locations in Cambridge, Massachusetts since 1993, serving local consumers with espresso drinks, proprietary cold-brew toddy coffee, loose leaf teas, house-made food, and bulk event catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffeehouse Retail

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Espresso beverages
• Cold brew coffee
• Catering coffee services
• Artisan coffeehouse

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. In-store Food & Beverage Sales: Traditional retail coffeehouse revenue from selling espresso drinks, brewed coffees, teas, cold brew, specialty drinks, and food items including breakfast items, sandwiches, cookies, and pastries at two Cambridge locations.
2. Whole Bean and Loose Leaf Tea Sales: Up to two dozen varieties of whole bean coffee and over 25 varieties of loose leaf teas sold for at-home consumption. Everything served in-store can be purchased to take home.
3. Online Ordering: Online ordering platform for pickup orders at both locations through 1369orders.com.
4. Catering Services: Bulk orders for events including coffee to go, hot chocolate, cold beverages in growlers, pastries, bagels, scones, and croissants for pickup.
5. Gift Cards: E-gift cards sold online through Square for gifting purposes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

1369 Coffeehouse is an independent specialty coffeehouse operating two physical locations in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company serves espresso-based beverages, brewed coffees, cold-brewed iced coffee, specialty hot and iced drinks, house-made chai and syrups, loose leaf teas, and house-baked or locally sourced food items, complemented by whole bean and loose leaf retail, catering services, and electronic gift cards.

Product overview

1369 Coffeehouse is a traditional coffeehouse with a single-location focus offering espresso drinks, brewed coffees, teas, and food items at two Cambridge, Massachusetts locations. The product portfolio centers on core coffeehouse beverages (espresso drinks, cold brew, specialty hot/iced drinks) and retail products (whole bean coffees and loose leaf teas for at-home brewing). Supporting offerings include breakfast and lunch food items, in-house baked desserts, catering services for events, gift cards, and charitable programs like Drink for a Cause. The business also runs a local artist display program. Online ordering is available through their proprietary 1369orders.com platform powered by Square payments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Espresso Drinks
• Cold Brewed Iced Coffee
• Specialty Hot and Iced Drinks
• Whole Bean Coffees
• Loose Leaf Teas
• Breakfast Items
• Lunch Items
• Desserts
• Catering Services
• E-Gift Cards

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

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Various Local Nonprofits (Drink for a Cause)coreOthers1369 Coffeehouse runs a 'Drink for a Cause' program where every two months they choose a new drink and new nonprofit to support. $1 from each featured drink sale goes directly to the cause. They also organize volunteer opportunities for staff and promote the nonprofit. Nonprofits supported include On the Rise, MSPCA, East End House, Transgender Law Center, Community Cooks, Partners in Health, Food for Free, Cambridge Arts Council, American Red Cross, Walk for Hunger, Cambridge Cares about Aids, Cambridge Local First, Oxfam, and Bikes not Bombs.
• Wicked BagelminorOthersSupplier of freshly baked bagels delivered each morning to both 1369 locations. More than 6 varieties daily.
• Danish Pastry House (Watertown)minorOthersSupplier of scones for catering orders. Located in Watertown, MA. Scones are baked daily and delivered fresh.
• Better Bagels (Boston)minorOthersSupplier of New York Style, hand rolled bagels for catering. Fresh from Boston each morning. Varieties include Everything, Salt, Poppy, Sesame, Whole Wheat, Plain, and Cinnamon Raisin.
• Mem TeaminorOthersTea supplier mentioned in Instagram post for Blue Flower Earl Grey Tea used in Iced London Fog drinks.
• Coswell Press SodaminorOthersBottled beverage supplier for catering, available alongside cold brew and malted cold brew.
• On the RiseminorOthersLocal nonprofit supported through Drink for a Cause program.
• MSPCAminorOthersLocal nonprofit supported through Drink for a Cause program.
• East End HouseminorOthersLocal nonprofit supported through Drink for a Cause program and staff volunteer events.
• ROC Solid FoundationminorOthersOrganization supporting kids going through tough medical diagnoses. Featured in 'Drink for a Cause' white peach Palmer promotion.
• Still (The Still Project)minorOthersMay/June Drink for a Cause beneficiary. Promotes body positivity for individuals who choose aesthetic flat closure after a mastectomy through anthologies, photography projects, and a compendium for patients.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Crema Cafe: Independent specialty coffeehouse located in Harvard Square, Cambridge — directly comparable local independent competitor serving the same Greater Boston customer base with espresso drinks, pastries, and community-focused positioning.
• Tatte Bakery & Cafe: Founded in Cambridge, MA and now a multi-location Boston-area cafe-bakery chain offering espresso drinks, pastries, and all-day food service. Direct competitor for the same Cambridge customer base and similar third-place community positioning, though at substantially larger scale.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty third-wave coffee roaster and cafe operator with strong emphasis on freshness, sourcing transparency, and direct-trade relationships. Closely comparable category, customer profile, and brew methodology positioning.
• Voltage Coffee & Art: Independent specialty coffeehouse and art gallery in Kendall Square, Cambridge. Highly comparable as a Cambridge independent combining specialty coffee with rotating local art programming — a near-direct concept analog.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Pioneering third-wave specialty coffee roaster with cafe locations, known for direct-trade sourcing and freshness standards. Closely aligned with 1369's quality, single-origin, and freshness ethos at a larger national scale.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe chain with broad retail and foodservice distribution. Directly comparable product mix (espresso, cold brew, draft lattes) and similar cafe-plus-retail-bean revenue model.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster and training-focused company serving cafes with sustainability and freshness commitments. Comparable third-wave specialty positioning with a similar B2B-to-cafe distribution model.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Specialty third-wave coffee company focused on freshness, single-origin sourcing, and craft brewing methods — directly comparable to 1369's quality-first positioning and 10-day roast-date discipline. Operates cafes and retail bean channels at a much larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks: Global coffee chain with significant Cambridge/Boston presence. Represents the broad incumbent benchmark for cafe volume, real estate leverage, digital infrastructure, and customer acquisition scale that 1369 competes against locally.
• Peet's Coffee: Established specialty coffee chain with broad retail cafe footprint and packaged grocery distribution. Larger incumbent operating across the same specialty coffee category with overlapping customer demographics in the Boston metro.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/1369coffeehouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/8305491084
• Instagraminstagram.com/1369coffeehouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1369-coffeehouse

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 1369 Coffeehouse