What Krankies Coffee does

Krankies Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster and single-location café founded in 2003 in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina, operating as Krankies Coffee Roasting, LLC. The company roasts small batches of hand-selected beans from around the world across eight distinct SKUs (House Roast, French Roast, Railhead espresso, Sugarcane Decaf, Tanzania Peaberry, Smokestack, Runaway, and Roaster's Choice), offered in whole bean and ground formats at multiple sizes. Its food program is anchored by a signature biscuit sandwich lineup (Krankies Classic, Egg n' Cheese, Dirty South, Golden Delicious, Hangover Helper, Bluebird), which the company positions as a category differentiator alongside coffee. The business is built around an inclusive, community-focused brand identity that has been cultivated locally over more than two decades.

The company operates a multi-channel distribution model: a flagship café at 211 East 3rd Street serving walk-in customers, a Toast Tab-powered local pickup ordering flow, a Shopify e-commerce storefront shipping nationwide via USPS, a catering service for corporate and event buyers, a wholesale program supplying beans to other cafes and retailers, and a recurring subscription offering with a 10% discount. Pricing is unit-based, ranging from $17 to $25 for 16 oz coffee SKUs and $25–$80 for catering biscuit boxes. Krankies Cash gift cards ($10–$100 denominations) and branded merchandise (t-shirts) extend monetization to gift and loyalty use cases, though gift cards are redeemable only in-store.

The go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer with light B2B exposure through wholesale and catering, supported by organic social (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletter marketing, and Google Maps/local SEO. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Customer concentration is fragmented across individual consumers, with no named anchor accounts disclosed. The technology stack is conventional and includes no AI, machine learning, or proprietary software capabilities; competitive advantage rests on community brand equity, roasting craft, and the biscuit food program rather than digital differentiation.

Name

Krankies Coffee

Legal name

Krankies Coffee Roasting, LLC

Website

https://krankiescoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Krankies Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster and café founded in 2003 in Winston-Salem, NC. It operates a single flagship café, a nationwide Shopify e-commerce store, a wholesale program, catering services, and a recurring coffee subscription business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roastery & Café

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG), Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Artisan coffee beans
• Coffee subscriptions
• Coffee shop café
• Wholesale coffee distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston-Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coffee Bean Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of whole bean and ground coffee through the Shopify e-commerce platform. Offers multiple roast varieties and sizes (16oz, 32oz, 80oz) with one-time purchase or subscription options.
2. Coffee Subscription: Recurring coffee delivery subscriptions offering weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly deliveries with 10% savings. Subscribers can skip, reschedule, edit, or cancel deliveries anytime.
3. In-Store Food & Beverage: On-premises café sales of coffee drinks, biscuits, and breakfast sandwiches at the downtown Winston-Salem location.
4. Catering Services: Biscuit boxes, coffee boxes, cold brew, iced lattes, and mimosa kits for events and meetings. Orders placed 48 hours in advance for pickup.
5. Wholesale Coffee: Premium small-batch roasted coffee sold wholesale to cafes, restaurants, and retailers who share passion for quality and flavor.
6. Gift Cards (Krankies Cash): Physical gift cards (Krankies Cash) sold in denominations from $10-$100, redeemable only at the downtown Winston-Salem café. Cannot be used for online purchases.
7. Merchandise: Branded merchandise including t-shirts sold through the online store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Krankies Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster and café operating a flagship downtown Winston-Salem location since 2003, selling hand-selected, small-batch roasted coffee beans in eight distinct roasts (House Roast, French Roast, Railhead espresso, Sugarcane Decaf, Tanzania Peaberry, Smokestack, Runaway, Roaster's Choice) alongside a signature biscuit sandwich menu. The business sells directly to consumers through its café, online Shopify store with subscriptions, and catering service, and distributes wholesale to other cafés, restaurants, and retailers.

Product overview

Krankies Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster and café established in 2003 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The company operates a unified retail offering centered on eight distinct coffee roasts (House Roast, French Roast, Railhead espresso blend, Sugarcane Decaf, Tanzania Peaberry, Smokestack, Runaway, and Roaster's Choice rotating selection), complemented by a food program featuring biscuit sandwiches and a catering service. The product portfolio also includes merchandise (t-shirts, gift cards) and a wholesale program for B2B coffee sales to other businesses. Coffee products are sold whole bean or ground in various sizes, with subscription delivery options available. The company retails through its physical downtown café and an online Shopify store, with ordering facilitated through Toast Tab for pickup.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• House Roast Coffee Flagship house blend combining beans from around the world with chocolate, fruity undertones, and nuttiness. Sold as 16oz ($17), 32oz, and 80oz sizes in whole bean or pre-ground formats, with one-time or subscription purchase options for home brewers and wholesale buyers.
• French Roast Coffee Dark roast blend designed to maintain complex flavor characteristics (dark chocolate, vanilla, stone fruit) with a 90/10 light/dark roast balance. Sold in 16oz ($17), 32oz, and 80oz sizes, whole bean or pre-ground, via subscription or one-time purchase.
• Railhead Espresso Blend House espresso blend made with a rotating selection of coffees for freshness (75% light / 25% dark). Sweet, balanced, and fruity profile suitable for espresso shots, lattes, and espresso-based drinks. Sold in 16oz ($19), 32oz, and 80oz sizes, whole bean or pre-ground.
• Sugarcane Decaf Coffee Colombian coffee naturally decaffeinated using the sugarcane (EA) process, with lemon, almond, and caramel notes (80/20 light/dark balance). Sold in 16oz ($19), 32oz, and 80oz sizes, whole bean or pre-ground.
• Tanzania Peaberry Coffee Premium single-origin coffee featuring rare peaberry beans hand-selected for concentrated flavor compounds and roasting uniformity. Light roast (25/75 light/dark) with delicate fruity flavors and bright lemon notes. Sold in 16oz size ($25), whole bean or pre-ground.
• Smokestack Coffee The darkest roast offering for hardcore coffee drinkers seeking a smoky, strong cup. 100% light roast profile with baker's chocolate, raisin, and smoky notes. Sold in 16oz ($17), 32oz, and 80oz sizes, whole bean or pre-ground.
• Runaway Natural Coffee Year-round natural coffee with a fruit-forward, expressive profile featuring ripe berry sweetness, gentle fermentation, and a round, syrupy body with juicy acidity. Dark roast (18/82 light/dark) with stone fruit, jammy, and sweet wine notes. Sold in 16oz ($25), 32oz, and 80oz sizes, whole bean or pre-ground.
• Roaster's Choice Subscription Coffee Rotating selection of premium 16oz specialty coffee boxes offering a monthly surprise selection. Available as one-time purchase or subscription delivery. Priced at $23 per 16oz box, whole bean or pre-ground.
• Biscuit Sandwiches and Café Menu Handmade biscuit sandwiches sold at the downtown Winston-Salem café in varieties including Krankies Classic (brined and fried chicken with Texas Pete and honey), Egg n' Cheese, Dirty South, Golden Delicious, Hangover Helper, and Bluebird. Available individually for walk-in customers and in boxes for catering orders.
• Catering Service Catering packages including biscuit boxes (Plain Biscuits $25, Butter & Jam $32, Blueberry Biscuits $32, Classics $80, Egg n' Cheese $75, Combo $80), coffee box ($25, serves ~10), half-gallon cold brew ($15), half-gallon iced latte ($25), half-gallon iced tea ($12), and mimosa kit ($30). Orders require 48-hour advance notice for pickup at the downtown Winston-Salem café.
• Wholesale Coffee Program Wholesale supply of premium small-batch roasted coffee to cafés, restaurants, and retailers in the region who resell or use the coffee in their operations. Inquiries initiated via the website contact form on the wholesale page.
• Krankies Gear Tee Grey heather t-shirt featuring the Krankies Coffee gear logo on the front and Winston-Salem, NC on the back, available in sizes X-Small through X-Large. Priced at $25 with a 30-day return policy.
• Krankies Cash Gift Cards Physical gift cards mailed to buyers or gift recipients and redeemable only at the downtown Winston-Salem café for food, drinks, coffee beans, and merch. Available in denominations of $10, $20, $40, $60, $80, and $100. Not usable for online shop purchases.
• Coffee Subscription Service Recurring coffee delivery subscription offering weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly deliveries with 10% savings versus one-time purchases. Subscribers can skip, reschedule, edit, or cancel deliveries anytime. Available across all Krankies coffee roasts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving customers across the U.S. with online coffee orders for 20+ years

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering Krankies Coffee's online store for coffee beans, merchandise, and subscriptions. Provides the technical infrastructure for their direct-to-consumer digital sales channel.
• Toast TabcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ordering platform provider enabling local pickup orders for food and coffee items at the Winston-Salem café location.
• Wake Forest UniversityminorOthersKrankies does not accept catering orders during WFU Graduation Weekend (May 15-18th annually), indicating a local event relationship with the university.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty roaster with cafés, DTC, and a strong wholesale footprint across the U.S. — same multi-channel specialty coffee business model as Krankies.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty roaster with cafés, wholesale, and DTC subscriptions — same omnichannel specialty coffee model as Krankies but at significantly larger scale.
• Colectivo Coffee: Independently-owned specialty roaster and café operator in the U.S. Midwest with DTC e-commerce and wholesale — closely comparable scale and ownership profile to Krankies.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Direct-trade specialty roaster with cafés, wholesale, and DTC e-commerce — mirrors Krankies' craft sourcing, multi-channel, and community-driven specialty positioning.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Specialty roaster operating own cafés, DTC e-commerce, and subscriptions, with a comparable craft-roasting, community-anchored positioning similar to Krankies.
• Joe Van Gogh Coffee: Small independently-owned specialty roaster with cafés and DTC e-commerce, anchored in a regional U.S. market — comparable business model and scale to Krankies.
• Onyx Coffee Lab: Specialty coffee roaster with a small number of cafés, direct-to-consumer e-commerce, and a strong reputation among third-wave coffee buyers — directly overlapping with Krankies' craft-roast positioning.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster with subscription DTC, wholesale to cafés and restaurants, and training/education programs — directly comparable business model across all of Krankies' core revenue streams.

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks Reserve: Specialty/premium extension of a global coffee chain, offering premium roasts and Reserve cafés — competes for the same specialty coffee customer with vastly greater capital and brand reach.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Nestlé-owned specialty roaster with a national café footprint, DTC, and subscriptions — operates in the same category but at meaningfully larger scale and with institutional capital behind it.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/krankiescoffee
• Instagraminstagram.com/krankiescoffee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/krankies-coffee

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 Krankies Coffee