Cafés Carasso

What Cafés Carasso does

Cafés Carasso (legal entity: Carasso SA) is a family-owned Swiss specialty coffee roaster founded in 1866 and headquartered in Satigny, canton of Geneva. The company sources single-origin and micro-lot green coffees from producers in Colombia, Peru, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Panama, and other origins, with direct relationships at farms such as Finca La Pradera, Janson Coffee Farm, Queromarca (Ismeria Leon), and Luis Marcelino's Huila lot. It roasts in-house in Geneva and sells a portfolio spanning Specialty Coffees (SCA 81-91+), Grands Terroirs (Blue Mountain, Kopi Luwak, Kona), Pures Origines, Assemblages (blends), and Bio/Fairtrade lines, alongside home-compostable and ESE coffee capsules, premium espresso machines, grinders, and barista accessories. The company also operates a 200g/month coffee subscription and a Coffee Academy (Académie du Café) for education and community building.

The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer and B2B distribution model: e-commerce via carasso.ch covering Switzerland and parts of Europe with 194 SKUs, three physical points of sale in Geneva (Boutique Rive, Boutique Grenus, and the Torréfaction/Roastery), and a dedicated B2B channel serving the HORECA sector and offices/SMEs. Pricing is positioned at a premium in Swiss Francs, ranging from approximately CHF 9-12 per 250g for classic blends to CHF 12-79 per 250g for specialty single-origins and up to CHF 159.20 for Kopi Luwak, with capsule, equipment (e.g., La Marzocco Linea Mini at CHF 5,010), and gift voucher lines layered on top.

Sustainability is treated as a core brand pillar rather than a marketing add-on: Carasso holds Fairtrade (Max Havelaar), CH-BIO-006 organic, and EcoEnterprise (DD/RSE) certifications, runs a partnership with Orang Utan Rainforest GmbH (donating CHF 1/kg to Sumatran conservation), and has introduced sail-freight logistics (Comuneros by Sail) that reportedly reduces transport emissions by 70-90%. There is no disclosed external funding, no public listing, and no M&A activity; ownership and control have remained with the founding family across six generations.

Name

Cafés Carasso

Legal name

Carasso SA

Website

https://carasso.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1866

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cafés Carasso is a family-owned Swiss specialty coffee roaster founded in 1866, based in Satigny, Geneva. It sells premium single-origin and blended coffees, capsules, equipment, and subscriptions to consumers, HORECA, and offices via e-commerce and three Geneva boutiques.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Espresso Bars & Coffee Bars (THAFADAD)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Single-origin coffee
• Coffee capsules
• Espresso equipment
• HORECA coffee supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Satigny, Genève

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coffee Product Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling roasted coffee beans in various formats (whole bean, ground) across multiple price points from budget blends to premium single-origin micro-lots. Products include Specialty Coffees, Grands Terroirs, Pures Origines, Assemblages, and Bio/FairTrade lines.
2. Coffee Subscription: Monthly subscription service delivering 200g of different specialty coffee monthly for a full year. Subscriptions available in espresso blend, espresso specialty, filter specialty, and specialty & grand terroir variants.
3. Capsule Sales: Sales of home-compostable coffee capsules and ESE pods in various blends including Bio, decaffeinated, and limited edition flavors.
4. Equipment and Accessories: Sales of espresso machines (including premium brands like La Marzocco, Rocket, Siemens), grinders, barista accessories, cups, and coffee paraphernalia.
5. B2B/HORECA: Supply of coffee products and equipment to hotels, restaurants, cafés, offices, and SMEs.
6. Gift Cards: Sale of gift vouchers in CHF 50 and CHF 100 denominations for use in stores and online.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cafés Carasso is a Swiss family-owned specialty coffee roaster that roasts and sells whole bean and ground coffees (single origins, blends, grands terroirs, organic and Fairtrade lines), home-compostable coffee capsules and ESE pods, coffee machines and grinders, and barista accessories. The company serves both individual consumers through its e-commerce platform (carasso.ch) and two Geneva boutiques, and B2B customers including HORECA and offices/SMEs.

Product overview

Cafés Carasso is a Swiss specialty coffee roaster founded in 1866, offering a comprehensive coffee portfolio across multiple formats: whole bean and ground coffees (including Specialty Coffees, Grands Terroirs, Single Origins, Blends, and Fairtrade Organic lines), compostable and ESE capsules, professional and home coffee machines (espresso, automatic, capsule, Italian Moka, slow coffee, and grinders), and barista accessories. The company also provides a monthly coffee subscription service delivering rotating specialty coffees, gift vouchers, and coffee education through their Coffee Academy. The business operates physical boutiques in Geneva (Rive and Grenus) alongside their e-commerce platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mon Abonnement Café: Coffee subscription service offering 200g of different coffee monthly for a year
• Bons Cadeaux

Products and services

• Specialty Coffees Premium single-origin specialty coffees with high SCA scores (81-91+), including Comuneros by Sail (decarbonized sail-shipped from Colombia), Tgist Boru (Ethiopia/Yirgacheffe), Queromarca (Peru), Jaguar Honey (Costa Rica), Panama Geisha, Kenya AA, and Guji Hambella. Sold in 250g, 500g, and 1kg sizes.
• Grands Terroirs
• Pures Origines (Single Origins)
• Assemblages (Blends)
• Bio et FairTrade Coffees
• Home Compost Coffee Capsules
• Capsules Limited Editions
• ESE Pods
• Coffee Machines and Grinders
• Coffee Accessories
• My Coffee Subscription
• Gift Vouchers (Bons Cadeaux)
• Coffee Académie

Quantifiable outcome

• 70-90% carbon reduction through sail shipping for Comuneros coffee

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Max HavelaarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairtrade certification partnership ensuring ethical sourcing practices and fair compensation for coffee farmers in developing countries.
• CH-BIO-006 (Organic Certification Body)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss organic certification partnership ensuring biological farming practices and pesticide-free coffee production.
• Orang Utan Rainforest GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Orang Utan coffee brand where CHF 1 per kilo is donated to farmers and the SOCP agency for orangutan protection in Sumatra's tropical forests.
• Finca La PraderastrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian coffee farm producing the Comuneros by Sail coffee with agroforestry system including three layers of shade and fifteen tree species, certified biological and biodiversity-respecting.
• Janson Coffee FarmstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPanamanian coffee farm producing limited-quantity Geisha lots including the prestigious Panama Geisha 581 with anaerobic natural processing.
• Luis MarcelinostrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian micro-lot producer in Huila (Acevedo) region at 1,600m altitude, producing Pink Bourbon variety coffee with honey double fermentation process.
• Ismeria LeonstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeruvian coffee producer at Queromarca farm at 2,250m altitude producing high-scoring specialty coffee (SCA 87) with anaerobic fermentation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Illy: Italian premium coffee company selling roasted coffee, capsules (iperEspresso), and serving HORECA globally. Direct peer in premium specialty coffee with comparable positioning around origin quality and brand storytelling.
• Nespresso: Nestlé-owned Swiss-based global capsule coffee brand. Direct competitor in the home capsule segment where Carasso sells home-compost and ESE pods, with significantly larger scale and brand investment.
• Paulig: Finnish family-owned coffee company offering roasted coffee, capsules, and foodservice solutions across Europe. Comparable family-owned heritage and product breadth across coffee formats.
• Kimbo: Naples-based Italian coffee roaster selling roasted coffee, capsules, and pods across retail and HORECA. Direct peer in traditional Italian-style roasted coffee with similar product breadth.
• Löfbergs: Swedish family-owned coffee roaster selling roasted coffee, capsules, and organic/fairtrade lines across Northern Europe. Direct peer in roasted coffee, capsules, and sustainability-led specialty positioning.
• Pellini Caffè: Italian coffee roaster with broad product range across blends, single origins, capsules, and pods distributed via retail and foodservice. Comparable mid-premium positioning and channel mix.
• Stoll Kaffee: Swiss specialty coffee roaster based in Switzerland, offering roasted coffee, espresso beans, and equipment to retail and HORECA customers. Most directly comparable regional peer given shared Swiss specialty market positioning.
• Segafredo Zanetti: Italian coffee roaster selling roasted coffee, capsules, and operating cafés worldwide. Direct peer in the roasted/coffee bean and capsule categories with overlapping HORECA presence.
• Lavazza: Italy's largest coffee roaster offering roasted coffee (whole bean, ground, capsules), espresso machines, and HORECA supply. Direct competitor across virtually all of Carasso's product categories with similar emphasis on premium Italian-style coffee.
• Bialetti: Italian company best known for Moka pots, also selling coffee (ground, capsules) and accessories. Direct peer in the equipment and coffee category, particularly relevant given Carasso's Moka and machine resale lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/carassoonlineshop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carasso
• Instagraminstagram.com/carasso_cafes

Compliance3 records

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 Cafés Carasso