dr.CAFE® COFFEE SAUDI ARABIA

What dr.CAFE® COFFEE SAUDI ARABIA does

dr.CAFE COFFEE is a Saudi Arabian premium specialty coffee chain founded in 1997, operating 265+ stores across Riyadh, Dammam, Qassim, and Jeddah through a blend of company-owned and franchised retail. Its footprint extends beyond traditional mall and high-street real estate into non-traditional venues including airports (notably King Abdulaziz International Airport), universities, hospitals, and gas stations — a distribution posture uncommon among competitors. The brand operates a second concept, V12, a third-wave premium specialty coffee sub-brand introduced to capture higher-end consumers, alongside registered trademarks dr.CAFE, V12, and DC College.

The company's product architecture spans brewed coffee (Auto Brew and Manual Brew variants including Pour Over, Immersion, and Cold Brew), a proprietary mobile ordering app with rewards program, an online store (drcafestore.com) offering merchandise such as the Leak Lock Thermos, and a 3D POS front-end tied to a cloud-based Automated Store Management System that standardizes operations across the network. DC College functions as the internal training and certification engine, with 165+ trained baristas and 520+ training resources supporting franchise quality control. Forbes has recognized the business as the Middle East's most promising coffee brand and described its footprint as a "Coffee Empire."

Revenue is generated through a mix of retail sales at company-owned stores, franchise fees and ongoing royalties, catering services, and branded merchandise/app/online commerce. The business model is franchise-led, evidenced by a lean corporate headcount relative to the unit base, with centralized training (DC College), technology (ASMS/3D POS), and brand marketing serving to scale unit economics while preserving operational consistency across a national footprint.

Name

dr.CAFE® COFFEE SAUDI ARABIA

Legal name

dr.CAFE COFFEE

Website

https://dr-cafe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

dr.CAFE COFFEE is a Saudi Arabian premium specialty coffee chain founded in 1997, operating 265+ stores across Riyadh, Dammam, Qassim, and Jeddah via company-owned and franchised retail, including airports, hospitals, and universities. The group runs a third-wave sub-brand, V12, alongside DC College training and a proprietary mobile app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Retail

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE), Drive-Thru Coffee Stands & Coffee Kiosks (THAFADAK)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee chain
• Coffee shop retail
• Third wave coffee
• Coffee franchise operations
• Coffee catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee Shop Sales: Revenue from direct customer purchases at company-owned and franchised coffee shop locations selling premium specialty coffee, cafe items, and catering services
2. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Revenue from franchise ownership model where entrepreneurs open dr.CAFE branded locations
3. Catering Services: Sophisticated product offerings and exemplary service for events and corporate catering
4. Merchandise and Online Store: Online sales of branded merchandise including coffee tumblers (Leak Lock Thermos), tumblers, and other coffee accessories through drcafestore.com

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

dr.CAFE operates a chain of more than 265 retail coffee shop locations across Saudi Arabia, selling premium specialty coffee beverages through multiple store formats including standard cafes, V12 third-wave specialty stores, hybrid stores, drive-thrus, and 24/7 locations. The company complements its cafe operations with a mobile ordering app, a loyalty rewards program, corporate and event catering services, an online merchandise store, and a franchise program for entrepreneurs wanting to operate locations.

Product overview

dr.CAFE COFFEE is a Saudi Arabian coffee chain operator offering a unified portfolio centered on premium specialty coffee. The core offering consists of the main dr.CAFE COFFEE brand with multiple store formats (standard, V12 premium, hybrid, drive-thru, 24/7), complemented by a mobile ordering app, a rewards loyalty program, catering services, an online e-commerce store, and operational technology features including Auto Brew, 3D POS, and Automated Store Management System. The V12 sub-brand represents the third wave premium specialty coffee concept with manual brewing methods, positioned as a higher-tier offering. The portfolio is supported by CSR initiatives including food recycling and green programs, and DC College training for staff development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• V12: dr.CAFE V12 is the 3rd wave premium specialty coffee concept, symbolizing commitment, pursuit of excellence, and versatility in adapting to change. It specializes in manual brewing techniques including Pour Over, Immersion, Immersion with pressure, Pressure, Cold Brew, and Hybrid methods.

Products and services

• dr.CAFE COFFEE Core retail offering: premium specialty coffee beverages and light food served across 265+ dr.CAFE cafe locations in Saudi Arabia, targeted at individual coffee consumers seeking quality daily coffee.
• V12 Premium Specialty Coffee A premium third-wave specialty coffee sub-brand offering hand-crafted, single-origin specialty brews prepared with precision techniques, served at dedicated V12 cafe locations targeting discerning coffee enthusiasts.
• V12 Manual Brew Hand-brewed single-cup specialty coffee prepared using precision manual brewing techniques, available at V12 locations for customers seeking artisan, single-origin coffee experiences.
• V12 Hybrid Store A hybrid cafe format combining the V12 premium third-wave specialty coffee menu with the standard dr.CAFE retail beverage and food menu, broadening the appeal to both premium and everyday coffee customers in a single location.
• dr.CAFE Auto Brew Automated specialty coffee brewing service delivering consistent specialty-grade coffee drinks to customers across the dr.CAFE retail cafe network.
• dr.CAFE Mobile App A consumer-facing mobile application available on iOS and Android that enables customers to locate stores, place orders, pay, earn rewards, and engage with the dr.CAFE brand.
• dr.CAFE Rewards Program A free loyalty program that lets enrolled customers earn points and redeem rewards across dr.CAFE and V12 cafe locations, driving repeat visits and customer retention.
• dr.CAFE Catering Bulk coffee and beverage catering service for corporate meetings, events, weddings, and private occasions, providing dr.CAFE coffee service at scale to organizations and event hosts.
• dr.CAFE Online Store An online e-commerce store selling dr.CAFE branded coffee beans, brewing equipment, and branded merchandise such as the Leak Lock Thermos, allowing customers to purchase dr.CAFE products beyond the cafe.
• Leak Lock Thermos A branded, leak-locking thermos tumbler sold as dr.CAFE merchandise, marketed as the ideal travel companion for keeping coffee hot and preventing spills.
• dr.CAFE Franchise Program A franchise offering that allows entrepreneurs to open and operate dr.CAFE coffee shop locations under the brand, including access to Franchise Profile information and a formal franchise application process.

Quantifiable outcome

• 520 resources available at dr.CAFE Information Center
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Liter Gas StationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-traditional retail partnership placing dr.CAFE V12 store at Liter Gas Station, Riyadh Road, Buraydah, bringing specialty coffee to commuters and travelers in Qassim region

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tim Hortons: Canadian coffee and donut chain with major Saudi expansion through the Kingdom's Apparel Group. Overlaps with dr.CAFE in drive-thru and quick-service coffee occasions, though positioned at a more mass-market price point.
• Costa Coffee: UK-headquartered coffee chain with established presence in Saudi Arabia. Competitor in café-format specialty coffee, though primarily a broad-incumbent brand rather than a third-wave specialist like dr.CAFE.
• Dunkin': US-origin coffee-and-donut chain with franchise presence in Saudi Arabia. Comparable in channel mix (drive-thru, kiosks, café) and franchise-driven growth, but positioned on coffee-plus-bakery rather than premium specialty.
• The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: US-origin coffee and tea chain with Saudi presence via master franchisees. Comparable cafe model with beverage-led menu, competing for similar café-occasion customers as dr.CAFE, though with a less specialty-focused positioning.
• Starbucks: Largest global coffee chain with a significant presence in Saudi Arabia through licensed operator Alshaya. Direct competitor in the same café category, but operates a much broader, lower-specialty menu and is not exclusively focused on third-wave coffee like dr.CAFE's V12.

Regional players

• Café Bonjour: Regional coffee chain with a strong footprint across the Levant and Gulf. Comparable café format and franchise model, though primarily active in Lebanon and other Levant markets rather than competing directly in Saudi Arabia.

Emerging players

• Caribou Coffee: US specialty coffee chain with Middle East franchise presence. Comparable in specialty coffee positioning and café-style service, while overlapping with dr.CAFE on third-wave beans and manual brewing methods.
• KAVA Coffee: Emerging specialty coffee roaster and café operator in Saudi Arabia. Comparable in third-wave positioning and roast-to-cafe model, though at a much smaller scale than dr.CAFE's 265-store network.

Direct peers

• Barn's Coffee: Saudi-born specialty coffee chain that has rapidly expanded domestically with a similar premium-specialty positioning. Direct competitor for third-wave coffee customers in Riyadh and other Saudi cities, targeting the same coffee enthusiast segment.
• % Arabica: Japan-origin premium specialty coffee brand aggressively expanding across the Middle East. Directly competes with dr.CAFE V12 in the third-wave, design-led specialty segment and has been opening stores in Saudi Arabia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dr.cafe-coffee-saudi-arabia

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 dr.CAFE® COFFEE SAUDI ARABIA