CafeLab

What CafeLab does

CafeLab is a specialty coffee roaster and café operator headquartered in Cartagena, Region of Murcia, Spain, operating under the legal entity COFFEE MAKER SLU and backed by the Cafés Bernal family group with 40 years of roasting heritage. The company sells 100% Arabica specialty coffee graded 80+ points on the SCA scale through three owned cafés (Carmen Conde in Cartagena, Casas del Rey, and Murcia city), a direct e-commerce storefront (cafelab.es), and a portfolio spanning whole bean single-origin coffees (Rwanda, Mexico, Peru, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica), proprietary blends, biodegradable Nespresso-compatible capsules, UFO single-serve filters, brewing accessories (including the Tricolate brewer and laboratory-style glassware), branded apparel, and educational books.

Its underlying technology stack is rooted in artisanal process control rather than software: an in-house encapsulation system producing 100% biodegradable and compostable capsules, use of the Swiss Water chemical-free decaffeination process, and Q Grader-aligned sensory evaluation. Commercial activity is complemented by a barista school that has delivered 15+ editions of SCA-aligned training (Barista Profesional, Latte Art, Brew, Sensory) and a set of monetized experiences anchored by the Asiático Experience, coffee tastings, and masterclasses. Revenue is generated through four streams: specialty coffee product sales (€12-72 whole bean, €5.95-59.50 capsules), barista education and training, experiential tastings and masterclasses (€25-35 per person), and branded merchandise and accessories, with free shipping over €30 and gift cards in €10-50 denominations. Customers are primarily individual specialty coffee enthusiasts, gift buyers, aspiring baristas, and a niche fitness/wellness segment served by pre- and post-workout capsule variants; the go-to-market is product-led and direct-to-consumer via physical cafés and the owned e-commerce channel, with no disclosed reseller or wholesale relationships and operations concentrated entirely within Spain's Murcia Region.

Name

CafeLab

Legal name

COFFEE MAKER SLU

Website

https://cafelab.es

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CafeLab is a family-owned Spanish specialty coffee roaster and café operator in the Murcia Region, selling 100% Arabica single-origin coffees, biodegradable capsules, accessories, barista training, and coffee experiences via three cafés and a direct e-commerce storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roastery and Café

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Biodegradable coffee capsules
• Barista training courses
• Coffee tasting experiences
• Specialty coffee retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Cartagena

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Coffee Product Sales: Sale of whole bean specialty coffees, capsules, and coffee accessories through e-commerce and physical locations. Products include single-origin coffees from Rwanda, Mexico, Peru, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica, and blends, priced from €12-72 for whole bean and €5.95-59.50 for capsules.
2. Barista Education and Training: Professional barista courses including Barista Professional (1 month, 80 hours, SCA certification pathway), Latte Art (1 week, 20 hours), BREW techniques, and SENSORY skills training. Also offers Masterclass experiences at €25 per person.
3. Coffee Experiences and Tastings: Revenue from experiential offerings including Asiático Experience (traditional Cartagena coffee drink), Coffee Tasting sessions, and Masterclass workshops. Gift cards available from €10-50 for experiences at their specialty cafés.
4. Merchandise and Accessories: Sale of branded merchandise including mugs, water bottles, laboratory glassware (Erlenmeyer flasks, beakers), teapots, apparel (t-shirts, hoodies), professional tasting spoons, and books on coffee and tea culture.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CafeLab is a specialty coffee roastery and café chain operating under the Cafés Bernal family brand. It roasts and sells 100% Arabica specialty coffee (rated 80+ points on the SCA scale) as whole bean, biodegradable Nespresso-compatible capsules, and accessories. It also delivers professional SCA-aligned barista training and cultural coffee experiences including the signature Asiático Experience.

Product overview

CafeLab is a specialty coffee roaster and café chain operating under the Cafés Bernal family brand with 40 years of experience. The company offers a diversified portfolio centered on 100% arabica specialty coffee sourced from single origins (Rwanda, Mexico, Peru, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica) and proprietary blends including pre/post-workout varieties. Products are sold as whole bean, UFO filter packets, and 100% biodegradable Nespresso-compatible capsules. The experience division encompasses the iconic Asiático (traditional Cartagena coffee drink), coffee tastings, masterclasses, and professional barista certification courses (SCA-aligned, 80 hours/1 month). Specialty coffee accessories include Tricolate brewers, laboratory-style glassware (Erlenmeyer flasks, beakers), ACME espresso cups, and tea kits. The brand also offers branded apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, aprons), reusable water bottles, and coffee/tea educational books. Gift cards are available for in-café consumption, experiences, and retail products. The company operates multiple café locations in Cartagena and Murcia (Carmen Conde and Casas del Rey locations).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Asiático Experience: Signature Cartagena-style coffee experience featuring the traditional Asiático drink, a regional specialty iconic to Cartagena.

Products and services

• Specialty Whole Bean Coffee

Quantifiable outcome

• 80+ SCA quality points on all specialty coffees
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IIAC (Instituto Internacional de Análisis de Conducta)minorOthersCollaborates with IIAC for social welfare initiatives and support for people with special needs, demonstrating CaféLab's commitment to community engagement and social responsibility in the Murcia Region.
• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial member and certified training partner. CaféLab's barista courses are designed to enable students to take SCA certification exams, aligning curriculum with international specialty coffee standards.
• Swiss Water Decaffeinated CoffeecoreTechnology or IntegrationLicensed user of Swiss Water decafeination process for producing decaffeinated specialty coffees without chemical solvents. Maintains coffee quality and original sensory profiles during decaffeination.
• Q Grader Certification ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for quality grading and sensory evaluation certification, enabling CaféLab to maintain and verify specialty coffee quality standards through internationally recognized Q Grader credentials.
• Local Social Welfare OrganizationsminorOthersCaféLab actively collaborates with various local entities and organizations committed to social welfare, support for people with special needs, and assistance to vulnerable populations in the Murcia Region.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Square Mile Coffee Roasters: London specialty roaster with DTC, wholesale supply to cafés, and barista education offerings — comparable third-wave credentials, multi-channel model, and SCA-affiliated training.
• Right Side Coffee: Spanish specialty roaster focused on SCA-quality single-origins and direct-to-consumer online sales out of Valencia — comparable DTC-led specialty play without cafe footprint.
• Syra Coffee: Barcelona-founded specialty coffee roaster with own cafés, DTC e-commerce, and signature single-origin lineup — a direct Spanish DTC + café competitor in the third-wave segment.
• Hasbean Coffee: UK-based specialty micro-roaster with strong DTC e-commerce, single-origin focus, and educational content — directly comparable artisanal roasting and DTC proposition at similar scale.
• Orphée Coffee: Spanish specialty coffee brand offering Nespresso-compatible capsules and whole bean DTC — the closest functional competitor to CafeLab's capsule-and-bean hybrid product model.
• Toma Café: Madrid-based third-wave specialty coffee roaster and café operator with DTC subscriptions, single-origin portfolio, and barista-focused positioning — closely mirrors CafeLab's DTC + café + sourcing model in the Spanish market.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Global third-wave specialty coffee operator with cafés, DTC subscriptions, and proprietary ready-to-drink line — the category-leading benchmark for the CafeLab model at much greater scale.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Pioneer third-wave US specialty roaster with DTC, wholesale, and direct-trade sourcing program — broadly comparable premium specialty positioning and origin transparency ethos.
• Cafés Saula: Long-established Spanish coffee roaster (Cataluña) with broad foodservice distribution, retail coffee lines, and capsule offerings — comparable in roasting heritage, broader in scale and channel reach.

Emerging players

• Counter Culture Coffee: US specialty coffee roaster known for sustainability focus, single-origin transparency, and educational training programs — overlapping positioning on quality, education, and direct trade.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Pinterestpinterest.es/CafeLabOficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cafelab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CafeLab