What Milano Coffee Roasters does

Milano Coffee Roasters is a privately held, family-owned artisan coffee roaster founded in 1984 by Francesco Curatolo in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company roasts and blends premium 100% Arabica coffee, combining up to 20 different origin varietals per espresso blend, and sells its products through seven owned retail cafe locations across Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, and Courtenay; a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront serving Canada and the United States; a multi-tier quarterly coffee subscription service; and a wholesale distribution network supplying select grocery stores and retailers across British Columbia and beyond. Supporting revenue streams include branded merchandise, coffee equipment, and private event bookings at its licensed Gastown espresso lounge.

Ownership is held by Master Roaster Brian Turko (who assumed the role in 1999 after a 15-year mentorship under the founder), his wife Linda Turko (Owner & President), and partners Barry and Colleen Henry. Milano has accumulated 15 gold medals at the IIAC International Institute of Coffee Tasters and claims Vancouver's only espresso tasting bars, where up to eight espressos can be sampled. The product portfolio spans more than 30 named blends across espresso, dark roast, medium roast, decaf (Swiss Water process), a Master's Reserve premium line, a Black Series, and Nespresso-compatible pods. The business is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, has approximately 20 employees, and is led by the Turko family with a focus on heritage Italian roasting tradition combined with Western Canadian retail expansion.

Name

Milano Coffee Roasters

Legal name

Milano Coffee Roasters

Website

https://milanocoffee.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Milano Coffee Roasters is a Vancouver-based, family-owned artisan coffee roaster founded in 1984 that blends premium 100% Arabica coffees and sells through seven owned cafes across Western Canada, an e-commerce site, subscriptions, wholesale, and private event bookings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC), Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH), Espresso Bars & Coffee Bars (THAFADAD)

Keywords

• Artisan coffee roasting
• Premium espresso blends
• Coffee subscription service
• Specialty coffee retail
• Wholesale coffee distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Coffee Sales: Retail coffee sales through 7 cafe locations and e-commerce website. Includes whole bean, ground coffee, and espresso pods. One-time purchases with various sizes (340g, 2lb, 5lb).
2. Coffee Subscriptions: Quarterly subscription service (3-month commitment) with bi-weekly or monthly deliveries. Options include Masters, Espresso, Medium, Dark, Conca D'oro, Butter, and Decaf subscriptions. Prices range from CA$202.50 to CA$247.50 per quarter.
3. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale coffee sales to retailers. Contact information provided for wholesale inquiries. Coffee available at select grocery stores.
4. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including tumblers, camp cups, t-shirts, crewnecks, tote bags, pour-over equipment, stovetop espresso makers, and gift cards.
5. Private Event Bookings: Private bookings at Gastown location (36 Powell Street) for events. Licensed to serve liquor. Additional services include reservations and full venue rentals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Milano Coffee Roasters is a Vancouver-based artisan coffee roaster that hand roasts and blends premium 100% Arabica coffee, combining up to 20 different origin varietals into signature Italian-style espresso, dark, medium, decaf, and Master's Reserve blends. The company sells its roasted coffee through 7 retail cafe locations, an owned e-commerce site (with shipping across Canada and to the US), a wholesale distributor network, recurring coffee subscription tiers, Nespresso Original compatible espresso pods, branded merchandise, and licensed private event bookings.

Product overview

Milano Coffee Roasters is a Vancouver-based artisan coffee company offering premium roasted coffee products through a multi-channel retail model. The core product portfolio consists of over 30 distinct coffee blends organized into categories: Espresso blends (Conca D'oro, Butter, Nuovo, Classico, Calabreze, Big 10, New Italian, La Futura, Velvet, Cognac, Franks, Natoora), Dark Roast blends (Black Beauty, Parisian, Arrosto Francese, Black Jam, Black Candy, Sweet Black, Black Lili, Chubby Rain), Medium Roast blends (Blue Milano, Adagio, Bourbon, Vienna, Old School Medium, B4, Brian's Summertime Blend), Decaf (Harmony Decaf), and Master's Reserve premium collection. The company also offers a new line of Nespresso®-compatible espresso pods under the Conca D'oro brand. Supporting products include coffee subscription services (7 tiers), sample sets, branded merchandise (tumblers, apparel, tote bags), pour-over equipment, and gift cards. The business operates multiple retail cafe locations across Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, and Courtenay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Turks Coffee Bar: A Vancouver coffee bar on Commercial Drive founded by Linda Turko in 1997, now part of the Milano Coffee Group. Award-winning staple of 'The Drive' featuring unique coffee blends.
• Milano Espresso Lounge

Products and services

• Coffee Blends (Espresso) Premium 100% Arabica espresso blends (Conca D'oro, Butter, Nuovo, Classico, Calabreze, Big 10, New Italian, La Futura, Velvet, Cognac, Franks, Natoora) combining up to 20 different origin coffees; sold to home brewers and cafes.
• Coffee Blends (Dark Roast) Dark roast blends (Black Beauty, Parisian, Arrosto Francese, Black Jam, Black Candy, Sweet Black, Black Lili, Chubby Rain) with rich, syrupy, sweet profiles for drip, pourover and French press brewing.
• Coffee Blends (Medium Roast) Medium roast blends (Blue Milano, Adagio, Bourbon, Vienna, Old School Medium, B4, Brian's Summertime Blend) with balanced, full-bodied profiles for brewed coffee.
• Harmony Decaf Coffee Blend Swiss Water process decaffeinated blend. Rich, full-bodied with caramel, clove, and dark chocolate notes; for decaf drinkers who do not want chemical solvents used in decaffeination.
• Espresso Pods - Conca D'oro Nespresso Original compatible espresso pods featuring the signature Conca D'oro blend. 10 pods of 5g each, with cocoa, vanilla, and pecan notes, for convenient home, office, or travel espresso brewing.
• Coffee Subscriptions Recurring coffee delivery service with 7 quarterly subscription tiers (Masters CA$245.50, Espresso CA$210, Medium CA$210.50, Dark CA$221.50, Conca D'oro CA$202.50, Butter CA$247.50, Harmony Decaf CA$216). 3-month commitment with bi-weekly or monthly deliveries; free Canada-wide shipping over CA$100.
• Sample Sets Curated tasting sets (Master's Reserve, Espresso, Medium Roast, Dark Roast) of 3 x 90g bags, allowing customers to sample different Milano blends before committing to a full-size bag.
• Black Series Blends Rotating ultra-dark roast blends (Black Jam, Black Candy, Sweet Black, Black Lili) with syrupy, rich profiles featuring fruit and caramel characteristics.
• Master's Reserve Collection Premium limited-availability espresso collection (Butter, La Futura, Franks, Espresso Pudding, Cognac) of top-tier blends crafted with exceptional cup quality for connoisseurs.
• Turks Crown (20-Bean Blend) Special milestone gold-medal-winning blend fusing 20 single origin beans, created for Turk's Coffee Bar's 20-year anniversary and recognized as the first 20-bean blend in the world.
• Pour-Over Set Pour-over starter kit available in Dark (CA$60) and Medium (CA$55) variants: includes 340g of Milano coffee, a Hario V60-02 glass dripper, and 100 paper filters.
• Stovetop Espresso Maker Classic Italian aluminum 3-cup (5 fl oz) stovetop espresso maker sold as branded equipment for traditional home moka brewing.
• Milano Gift Cards (Physical and e-Gift) Physical Milano gift card (from CA$25) redeemable at West 8th, Gastown, and Victoria locations, and a separate Milano e-Gift Card (CA$75 or CA$100) redeemable online only.
• Private Event Bookings at Gastown Espresso Lounge Private venue bookings at the Gastown Milano Espresso Lounge (36 Powell Street), licensed to serve liquor, offering reservations and full venue rentals (with 20% gratuity) for private events, corporate gatherings, and celebrations.
• Wholesale Coffee Distribution B2B wholesale supply of Milano coffee blends, espresso pods, and equipment to grocery stores, cafes, and specialty retailers across British Columbia and beyond; inquiries handled via [email protected] with a public retailer locator.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 gold medals at IIAC International Institute of Coffee Tasters
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Barry & Colleen HenrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarry and Colleen Henry are partners in Milano Coffee. Barry is an accomplished roaster with background in radio, TV, fine arts, and business ownership. Colleen brings 30+ years in law enforcement with business acumen and a great palate. They share passion for coffee excellence and create synergy within the business.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JJ Bean Coffee Roasters: Vancouver-based artisan coffee roaster operating multiple cafe locations across BC and Western Canada. Directly comparable as a specialty roaster-cafe with a strong wholesale and subscription business in the same core geographies.
• Blenz Coffee: Canadian specialty coffee chain headquartered in Vancouver with cafes across BC and Western Canada. Comparable as a BC-based premium coffee chain with cafe, wholesale, and packaged coffee offerings.
• Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters: Calgary-based artisan coffee roaster with retail cafes and a strong reputation for direct-trade, single-origin, and multi-origin blends. Comparable as a Canadian Western premium roaster-cafe with award-winning blends.
• 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters: Vancouver specialty coffee roaster with retail cafes and wholesale distribution across Canada. Closely comparable premium positioning, multi-origin blends, and cafe-retail model in the same home market.
• Kicking Horse Coffee: Canadian specialty coffee roaster (BC-based, owned by Lavazza) with strong retail grocery presence and organic/fair trade positioning. Comparable as a Canadian artisan roaster competing in the same bagged coffee and grocery wholesale channels.
• Fratello Coffee Roasters: Calgary-based specialty roaster operating cafes and wholesale distribution across Canada. Comparable artisanal Italian-influenced roasting heritage and Western Canadian cafe-retail footprint.
• Pilot Coffee Roasters: Toronto-based specialty roaster with cafes, wholesale, and direct-to-consumer subscriptions. Comparable as a Canadian premium roaster with subscription programs and a similar multi-channel distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Nespresso: Global single-serve coffee pod brand with proprietary machines and broad retail distribution. Comparable as the incumbent in the Nespresso-compatible pod category that Milano's Conca D'oro pods directly target.
• Tim Hortons: Canada's largest coffee QSR/retail brand with packaged coffee at grocery and a dominant cafe footprint. Comparable as a broad incumbent against which Milano competes for Canadian coffee consumers and grocery shelf space.
• Starbucks: Global coffee incumbent operating cafes, packaged retail coffee, and single-serve pods (Nespresso-compatible via partnership). Comparable as a much larger incumbent that Milano competes against in retail grocery and the single-serve pod category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/milanoroasters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/milano-coffee-roasters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Milano Coffee Roasters