Quijote Kaffee oHG
Quijote Kaffee is a Hamburg-based specialty coffee roastery operating as a 17-member collective, sourcing exclusively via direct trade from smallholder cooperatives in Latin America and India, and selling roasted coffee direct-to-consumer in Germany and Austria with industry-leading supply-chain transparency.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Quijote Kaffee oHG does
Quijote Kaffee is a specialty coffee roastery and direct importer headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, founded in 2010. The company purchases green coffee exclusively from democratically organized smallholder cooperatives in Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, and India under direct trade arrangements, with long-term partnerships (often exceeding 10 years) and guaranteed minimum producer prices of USD 3.75/lb for Arabica and USD 3.35/lb for Robusta. Quijote operates its own import department handling logistics from origin ports to the Hamburg roastery, and publishes detailed pricing breakdowns, raw purchase contracts, roasting profiles, and annual transparency reports — achieving a Return to Origin (RTO) rate of 27–34% of the roasted coffee sale price, described as industry-leading.
The product portfolio centers on three core roast categories — light/medium espresso, dark espresso, and filter coffee, plus blends for fully automatic machines — supplemented by X-Roasting collaborative projects with peer specialty roasters, Guayusa tea, fair-trade food items, coffee accessories, books, and green coffee for home roasters. Quijote is structured as a collective of 17 members with joint decision-making and equal hourly wages capped at the Hamburg average salary (EUR 5,407/month in 2025), with surplus required to be reinvested or donated. The company is managed by five Geschäftsführer:innen (Andreas Felsen, Stefanie Hesse, Jörn von Ahn, Christian Lesche, and Gisselle Fillad Abreira).
Revenue is generated primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce (with weekly Monday 7 AM production drops of 3,600 kg that frequently sell out), supplemented by on-site warehouse sales at the Hamburg roastery, a small number of retail partners in Germany and Austria, and a B2B channel serving cafés, restaurants, and offices. Geographic scope is limited to Germany and Austria. Self-imposed annual production is capped at approximately 186 tonnes to preserve quality, collective structure, and ethical sourcing economics, and the company holds no external funding or parent ownership.
Quijote Kaffee oHG firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Quijote Kaffee oHG
- Legal name
- Quijote Kaffee GmbH
- Website
- https://quijote-kaffee.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Quijote Kaffee is a Hamburg-based specialty coffee roastery operating as a 17-member collective, sourcing exclusively via direct trade from smallholder cooperatives in Latin America and India, and selling roasted coffee direct-to-consumer in Germany and Austria with industry-leading supply-chain transparency.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Quijote Kaffee oHG industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Roasting
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)
Keywords
Where Quijote Kaffee oHG is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Quijote Kaffee oHG business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Roasted Coffee Sales: One-time sale of roasted specialty coffee beans to individual consumers and businesses via e-commerce web shop and physical warehouse sales.
- Wholesale to Cafés and Restaurants: B2B supply of coffee to cafés, restaurants, and companies in the HORECA sector.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Germany: flat 6.50 EUR shipping; free shipping above 120 EUR order value |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Austria: weight-based tiered shipping from 12.50 to 40.50 EUR |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Producer minimum price guarantees: Arabica 3.75 USD/lb, Robusta 3.35 USD/lb |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Quijote Kaffee oHG product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Quijote Kaffee is a direct-import specialty coffee roastery based in Hamburg that purchases green coffee directly from democratically organized smallholder farmer cooperatives in Latin America and India, then roasts and sells specialty coffee (espresso, filter, and fully automatic blends) to individual consumers and HORECA businesses in Germany and Austria. The company operates as a 17-member worker collective publishing complete supply-chain transparency including raw purchase contracts, price calculations, roasting profiles, and annual transparency reports, with a self-imposed annual production cap of 186 tonnes.
Product overview
Quijote Kaffee is a direct-import specialty coffee roastery operating from Hamburg, Germany. The company offers a focused product portfolio centered on ethically sourced specialty coffees across three core roast categories (espresso light/dark, filter coffee, and automatic machine blends) supplemented by collaborative X-Roasting projects with partner roasters. The product line extends to green coffee for home roasters, Guayusa tea, fair trade food products, coffee accessories, and books. Services include B2B coffee supply for businesses and gastronomy, as well as consulting and import participation for other roasters. The company operates through direct trade relationships with cooperatives in Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Peru, and Brazil, with a collective organizational structure of 17 members.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Espresso (Light and Medium Roast) Light and medium roast espresso coffees roasted from green coffee sourced directly from democratically organized small-scale farmer cooperatives. Sold via the Quijote webshop to home-brewing consumers and HORECA customers in Germany and Austria.
- Espresso (Dark Roast) Dark roast espresso coffees roasted from green coffee sourced directly from democratically organized small-scale farmer cooperatives. Sold via the Quijote webshop.
- Filterkaffee (Filter Coffee) Roasted filter coffee blends sourced from partner cooperatives, suitable for various home brewing methods. Sold via the Quijote webshop.
- Coffee for Fully Automatic Machines (Für Vollautomaten) Coffee blends specifically developed and roasted for fully automatic espresso machines. Sold via the Quijote webshop.
- X-Roasting Collaborative Projects Limited-edition collaborative roasting projects between Quijote and other specialty coffee roasters worldwide, producing unique single-origin or blended coffees. Each X-Roast is jointly selected, with Quijote roasting one profile and the partner roaster roasting another, sold through each roaster's respective webshop.
- Guayusa Tee (Guayusa Tea) Guayusa tea product sourced from cooperatives in Ecuador and sold via the Quijote webshop alongside the coffee range.
- Schwarzer Pfeffer (Black Pepper) Fair trade black pepper sold via the Quijote webshop as part of the Leckereien (specialty foods) range.
- pHenomenal TONIC Sirup (Tonic Syrup) Fair trade tonic syrup sold via the Quijote webshop as part of the Leckereien (specialty foods) range.
- Gutscheine (Gift Vouchers) Gift vouchers redeemable in the Quijote webshop for any product in the assortment.
- Rohkaffee für Heimröster*innen (Green Coffee for Home Roasters) Green (unroasted) coffee beans from Quijote's direct trade supply chain, sold to hobbyist home roasters via the Quijote webshop.
- Kaffee für Unternehmen (Coffee for Companies) B2B coffee supply service for companies and offices in Germany and Austria, providing ethically sourced, transparently priced roasted coffee for workplace consumption.
- Kaffee für die Gastronomie (Coffee for Gastronomy) B2B coffee supply service for cafés, restaurants, and other gastronomy businesses in Germany and Austria, providing consistent specialty coffee with transparent sourcing credentials.
- Import-Beteiligung (Import Participation) Service allowing other specialty coffee roasters to participate in Quijote's direct import operations, joining container shipments of green coffee sourced from partner cooperatives.
- Beratung für Röster (Consulting for Roasters) Consulting services for other coffee roasters, including guidance on green coffee sourcing offers from Quijote's import operations.
- Bücher über Kaffee (Coffee Books) Coffee-related books retailed via the Quijote webshop, including titles by Karl Wienhold (Cheap Coffee), Coffee Collective (Guter Kaffee), and Scott Rao (Best Practices). Shippable EU + Switzerland.
Quantifiable outcome
- 27-34% Return to Origin (RTO) rate — percentage of roasted coffee sale price received by producer cooperatives — far above industry standard
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Quijote Kaffee oHG
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Quijote Kaffee oHG technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature3 records
Quijote Kaffee oHG partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Kaffeemacher:innenflagshipX-Roast #17 collaborative project with Kaffeemacher:innen (Switzerland). Quijote and Kaffeemacher:innen jointly selected a Honduras COMSA microlot as the basis for this project. Quijote roasts the espresso profile (sold via Quijote webshop) while Kaffeemacher:innen roast the filter profile (sold via their own webshop). Both roasters are members of 'The Pledge' (Transparency Coffee). The collaboration combined roasting expertise from both roasters and culminated in a joint YouTube live stream.
- The Pledge (Transparency Coffee)coreQuijote is a member of 'The Pledge', a coalition of roasters worldwide committed to transparency along the entire coffee trade value chain. Both Quijote and their X-Roast partners (e.g., Kaffeemacher:innen) participate in this initiative.
- COMSA (Cooperativa de Servicios Múltiples de San Marcos de Ocotepeque)flagshipHonduran coffee cooperative and Quijote's key Arabica partner. Quijote has worked with COMSA for over 10 years on joint quality development projects including natural processing, producing specialty coffees scoring 85+ SCA points. COMSA supplies multiple blend and microlot coffees annually. Quijote paid Pedro Antonio Martinez Rodriguez 4.50 USD/lb for a 2023 microlot (vs. 3.75 USD/lb minimum).
- ACRIM (Ecuador)coreEcuadorian Arabica cooperative, bio-certified. Long-term partner since 2010. Supplies washed and melado processed Arabica coffees. Quality scores of 84+ SCA points.
- APECAP (Ecuador)coreEcuadorian Arabica cooperative, bio-certified. Long-term partner supplying washed and melado processed coffees. Produces microlots from named individual farmers including Typica, Typica Mejorada, and Hybrid F1 varieties. Quality scores 84+ SCA points.
- COIPEC (Guatemala)coreGuatemalan Arabica cooperative, bio-certified. Long-term partner supplying washed organic Arabica with 84+ SCA quality scores. Paid 3.15 USD/lb FOB.
- CENFROCAFE (Peru)corePeruvian Arabica cooperative, bio-certified. Long-term partner supplying washed Arabica blends scoring 84+ SCA points. Paid 3.00 USD/lb FOB.
- Jatari (Ecuador)coreEcuadorian Robusta cooperative. Supplies Robusta blends (certified conventional, some Chakra-certified traditional cultivation). Paid 280 USD/lb FOB.
- ASOSUMACO (Ecuador)coreEcuadorian Robusta cooperative operating Chakra-traditional cultivation in the Amazon region. Supplies Robusta blends at 280 USD/lb FOB. Not BIO certified.
- COOPFAM (Brazil)coreBrazilian Arabica cooperative. Long-term partner supplying natural processed Arabica (83 SCA points). Paid 2.90 USD/lb FOB.
- CAFESUL (Brazil)minorBrazilian coffee cooperative from Quijote's Brazil sourcing.
- O. Wayanad / Organic Wayanad (India)coreIndian Robusta cooperative, bio-certified. Supplies washed organic Robusta. Paid approximately 6.16-6.28 USD/lb FOB.
- APROCOMSA (Honduras)coreHonduran Arabica cooperative, bio-certified. One of Quijote's key Central American Arabica partners.
- SCIDECO (Guatemala)minorGuatemalan Arabica cooperative, bio-certified. Secondary partner in Guatemala alongside COIPEC.
- Jumarp (Peru)minorPeruvian Arabica cooperative, bio-certified. Supplies melado processed Arabica scoring 84+ SCA points. Paid 3.00 USD/lb FOB.
- Rukullakta (Ecuador)minorEcuadorian Robusta cooperative. Supplies washed Robusta blends at 280 USD/lb FOB.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Quijote Kaffee oHG competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Barn Coffee Roasters: Berlin specialty coffee roaster with strong emphasis on single-origin sourcing, transparency, and café/B2B distribution. Comparable as a German specialty roaster competing for the same ethically-minded consumer segment.
- La Cabra Coffee: Aarhus/Denmark-based specialty roaster with strong focus on direct trade and transparent producer relationships. Comparable philosophy and European specialty market positioning.
- Hasbean Coffee: UK specialty coffee roaster with direct relationships to smallholder farmers and extensive single-origin catalogue. Comparable direct-trade, single-origin specialty roaster serving ethically-minded consumers.
- Square Mile Coffee Roasters: London specialty roaster known for direct trade and transparency in green coffee sourcing. Comparable as a European specialty direct-trade roaster serving quality-focused consumers and HORECA.
- Tim Wendelboe: Oslo-based specialty coffee roaster and World Barista Champion's brand, focused on single-origin transparency and direct producer relationships. Comparable as a Northern European specialty roaster with published transparency data.
- Kaffeemacher:innen: Swiss specialty coffee roaster and X-Roast #17 partner with Quijote; both are Pledge transparency coalition members. Direct comparable as a DACH-region direct-trade specialty roaster with overlapping philosophy and cross-collaboration.
- Coffee Collective: Copenhagen specialty roaster widely recognized for direct trade and transparency (publicly discloses FOB prices, farmer payments). Highly comparable philosophy and is also a Pledge transparency member, sharing values with Quijote.
- Five Elephant: Berlin-based specialty coffee roaster and café operator sourcing directly from producers. Comparable direct-trade, single-origin positioning serving German specialty consumers and HORECA.
- Bonanza Coffee Roasters: Berlin-based specialty coffee roaster focused on direct trade, single-origin sourcing, and transparency. Closely comparable as a German specialty direct-trade roaster with B2B café supply and similar quality-driven positioning.
Regional players
- Rösterei St. Johann: Hamburg-based specialty roaster serving the same local Hamburg market as Quijote with direct-trade sourcing. Comparable as a regional German specialty peer competing for the same Hamburg consumer base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Quijote Kaffee oHG social profiles
Digital presenceQuijote Kaffee oHG financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Quijote Kaffee oHG leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Quijote Kaffee oHG funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Quijote Kaffee oHG M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Quijote Kaffee oHG
What does Quijote Kaffee oHG do?
Quijote Kaffee is a direct-import specialty coffee roastery based in Hamburg that purchases green coffee directly from democratically organized smallholder farmer cooperatives in Latin America and India, then roasts and sells specialty coffee (espresso, filter, and fully automatic blends) to individual consumers and HORECA businesses in Germany and Austria. The company operates as a 17-member worker collective publishing complete supply-chain transparency including raw purchase contracts, price calculations, roasting profiles, and annual transparency reports, with a self-imposed annual production cap of 186 tonnes.
Is Quijote Kaffee oHG a public or private company?
Quijote Kaffee oHG is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Quijote Kaffee oHG founded?
Quijote Kaffee oHG was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Quijote Kaffee oHG based?
Quijote Kaffee oHG is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Quijote Kaffee oHG make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Roasted Coffee Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale to Cafés and Restaurants.
Who are Quijote Kaffee oHG's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Barn Coffee Roasters, La Cabra Coffee, Hasbean Coffee, Square Mile Coffee Roasters, Tim Wendelboe, Kaffeemacher:innen, Coffee Collective, Five Elephant and Bonanza Coffee Roasters. Rösterei St. Johann is listed as a regional player.
Does Quijote Kaffee oHG have an API?
No public API is recorded for Quijote Kaffee oHG.
What industry is Quijote Kaffee oHG in?
Quijote Kaffee oHG's product category is Specialty Coffee Roasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFADAJ, Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing, with a secondary code of CRADAHAG, Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean). Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.