What WAY Coffee Roasters does

WAY Coffee Roasters operates a specialty coffee ecosystem headquartered in Gent, Belgium, founded in 2017 by Charlene De Buysere (World Aeropress Champion, Belgian Barista and Brewerscup Champion), Luk Thys (managing partner), and Ward De Corte (roastery and green bean purchasing). The company roasts specialty-grade coffee beans in-house at the Dok Noord facility and operates five owned retail locations across Gent: the Dok Noord roastery and WAY Academy, Volder, Volder Books, Jakobijn, and the Keizerpoort fully vegan bakery which expanded into artisan sourdough bread production in November 2024. Core product lines include espresso and filter coffee beans, compostable Nespresso-compatible capsules, curated equipment from partner brands (Sage, Moccamaster, Hario, Timemore, Fellow, Aeroxpress), and a portfolio of monthly subscription services spanning consumer filter and espresso deliveries plus B2B office subscriptions ranging from 2kg to 30kg monthly. Revenue mechanics combine transactional one-time sales (beans, capsules, equipment, €5-€300 gift cards), recurring subscriptions (filter from €11.70/month, office from $72/2kg), and in-person education through the WAY Academy workshop series covering latte art, espresso training, pour-over, Aeropress, and cupping at $135 per session, all supported by the WAY Coffee Club loyalty program powered by Leat and a Shopify-powered e-commerce platform shipping internationally via DHL, PostNL, and DPD to Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, USA, and Canada.

The company's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, community-driven, and education-led. Distribution is omnichannel: walk-in café traffic at five Gent locations, online direct sales through way.gent, and home or office subscription delivery via Bpost in Belgium. Sourcing is anchored by direct relationships with BELCO for traceable specialty green coffee and COCARIVE cooperative in Brazil's Mantiqueria de Minas region, with roasting standards influenced by consultant Måns Akne Andersson. The business operates under the legal entity We Are Young bvba (Belgian private limited company), is privately held with no institutional funding disclosed, and remains founder-led with an 8-person operating team including specialized roles for bakery operations (Head Baker Guillaume Trotta, Head Pastry Chef Enya Gago Castro) added during the 2024 expansion.

Name

WAY Coffee Roasters

Legal name

WAY SPECIALITY COFFEE ROASTERS

Website

https://way.gent

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roastery

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasting & Grinding (AFAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE), Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Coffee bean retail
• Coffee subscription service
• Brewing equipment sales
• Coffee education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coffee Bean Sales: Sale of specialty roasted coffee beans in multiple formats (whole beans, ground for various methods) and origins (Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Peru). Products available in 250g, 500g, 1kg, and bulk quantities.
2. Coffee Subscriptions: Monthly subscription service delivering freshly roasted coffee to customers. Options include filter subscription (from €11.70/month), espresso subscription, and capsule subscription. Flexible plans allow customers to adjust frequency and quantity.
3. Equipment & Accessories: Sale of coffee brewing equipment including espresso machines (Sage, various brands), filters (V60, Chemex, Aeropress), grinders, scales, kettles, and barista tools from partner brands.
4. Workshops & Education: In-person coffee workshops covering espresso training, latte art, pour over, Aeropress, and cupping/tasting. Classes held at Dok Noord roastery location, priced at $135 per session.
5. Coffee Capsules: Nespresso-compatible plant-based compostable coffee capsules sold individually or in bulk boxes. Available in Brazil Bota Fora origin.
6. Office Subscriptions: B2B coffee subscription service for offices, delivering 2-30kg quantities of coffee beans monthly in various grind sizes for espresso machines or filter coffee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WAY Coffee Roasters roasts specialty-grade coffee beans in-house at its Dok Noord roastery in Ghent and sells them whole or ground in multiple origins and sizes, alongside Nespresso-compatible plant-based compostable capsules, curated multi-brand brewing equipment, and gift cards. The company also runs individual and office coffee subscriptions (filter, espresso, capsules), operates a loyalty program (WAY Coffee Club), and offers paid barista workshops through WAY Academy at the roastery.

Product overview

WAY Coffee Roasters operates a specialty coffee ecosystem in Gent, Belgium, consisting of their core roasting operation producing specialty-grade coffee beans (roasted in-house at Dok-Noord) sold across three product lines: whole bean coffee for espresso and filter brewing, compostable Nespresso-compatible capsules, and coffee subscriptions for home and office. The product portfolio is structured around a multi-brand equipment retail arm (featuring curated partners like HARIO, MOCCAMASTER, SAGE, FELLOW, KINTO, and AEROPRESS for both espresso and filter brewing) that cross-sells with educational workshops through WAY Academy, all supported by a loyalty program (WAY Coffee Club) and gift card offerings. The company operates physical locations in Gent (Dok Noord, Volder, Jakobijn, Volder Books, and Keizerpoort) serving as both retail cafes and the roastery hub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WAY Coffee Club: Loyalty program where customers earn WAY POINTS for every online and offline purchase. Points can be redeemed for rewards at WAY Coffee Roasters locations.
• WAY Academy

Products and services

• WAY Specialty Coffee Beans — Espresso In-house roasted specialty-grade coffee beans blended for espresso extraction: rich, sweet, balanced, and slightly deeper roasted to emphasize natural sweetness and full body without bitterness. Available in 250g, 500g, 1kg, and bulk sizes across multiple origins (Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Peru).
• WAY Specialty Coffee Beans — Filter Lighter-roasted specialty coffee beans designed for clarity, complexity, and fruity aromas in pour-over methods such as V60, Chemex, AeroPress, and Moccamaster. Available in 250g, 500g, 1kg, and bulk sizes across multiple single origins.
• WAY Coffee Capsules (Nespresso Compatible) Plant-based, compostable coffee capsules compatible with Nespresso machines, filled with freshly roasted specialty coffee from WAY's own roastery in Ghent, $8 per box with 10% discount on 5+ boxes and a 400-capsule bulk box at $211.
• WAY Coffee Subscriptions (Espresso, Filter, Capsules) Monthly subscription service delivering freshly roasted coffee to homes or for pickup at the roastery. Three formats: filter subscription from €11.70/month, espresso subscription, and capsule subscription (60–100 capsules per delivery). Flexible quantities (250g to 1kg) and grind types; delivery via Bpost or free pickup.
• Office Coffee Subscriptions (Espresso and Filter) B2B bulk coffee subscription for offices, delivering 2–30kg of whole beans monthly with options for Brazil or Roaster's Choice origins and various grind sizes for espresso machines, drip, or French press. Starting from $72 for 2kg and scaling with volume.
• WAY Academy Coffee Workshops Paid in-person coffee education workshops held at the Dok-Noord roastery covering Latte Art, Latte Art Pro, Basic Espresso Training, AeroPress, Pour Over, Coffee Tasting & Cupping, and Sage Homebarista, priced at $135 per session.
• Espresso Brewing Equipment Curated selection of espresso machines, grinders, and barista tools from SAGE, TIMEMORE, FELLOW, and BARISTA ESSENTIALS, sold to home baristas and offices through the WAY storefront.
• Filter Brewing Equipment Equipment for manual filter brewing including V60 drippers, Chemex, AeroPress, Moccamaster, scales, kettles, servers, and filters from brands like HARIO, KALITA, MOCCAMASTER, and ORIGAMI, sold to home baristas.
• Moccamaster KBG Select Coffee Machine Iconic Dutch-made electric filter coffee machine certified by SCAE, SCAA, and ECBC, featuring half/full brew button, improved showerhead, and automatic stop function, brewing 1–6 cups in 5–6 minutes. Starting price $310 with multiple color variants.
• Aeropress Original Coffee Brewer Compact, portable coffee brewing device combining immersion and pressure brewing to produce coffee with the body of a French press and the clarity of a pour-over, using paper filters.
• Chemex 6-Cup Coffee Maker Iconic glass pour-over coffee maker since 1941 with wood handle and leather collar, producing pure, clear-tasting coffee by removing bitter oils through proprietary paper filters.
• WAY Gift Cards WAY gift cards available in denominations from €5 to €300, redeemable across coffee, equipment, and workshop purchases online and at WAY locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% 5-star reviews for Moccamaster products
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Luk ThyscoreOthers · 1 January 2017Co-founder of WAY Coffee Roasters. Provided initial space and entrepreneurial vision at Dok Noord location. Owner of Foodphoto studio adjacent to roastery space.
• Måns Akne AnderssoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned coffee consultant who guided WAY during their 2017 founding. Provided expertise in coffee roasting techniques and quality standards that continue to influence operations today.
• BELCO (Berkeley International Coffee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoffee sourcing partner providing traceable specialty coffee with sustainability impact scores. WAY highlights BELCO's producer partners including operations in Ethiopia (Oromia Region, Jimma Zone) and other origins. Supports WAY's commitment to ethical sourcing.
• COCARIVEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural cooperative supporting coffee producers in Brazil's Mantiquiera de Minas region. COCARIVE provides agronomist support, technical assistance, quality control at their own laboratory, and assists with storage and export of green coffee beans sourced by WAY.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bonanza Coffee Roasters: Berlin specialty roaster with cafés, subscription, and B2B services across Germany; comparable to WAY in combining roastery, specialty cafés, and direct-to-consumer subscriptions targeting home baristas.
• Friedhats: Amsterdam specialty roaster operating cafés, roasting single-origin coffees, and selling beans/equipment online; directly comparable to WAY in craft positioning, multi-location cafés, and DTC/equipment retail mix.
• OR Coffee Roasters: Belgian specialty roaster with cafés in Ghent and elsewhere; this is where CEO Charlene De Buysere built her early barista expertise, making it the closest direct analogue to WAY in terms of origin city, target customer, and roastery-café model.
• Five Elephant: Berlin specialty coffee roaster and café chain known for single-origin sourcing and direct-trade relationships; closely comparable to WAY's roastery-café model and specialty single-origin positioning.
• Manhattan Coffee Roasters: Rotterdam-based specialty roaster with a roastery-café model, single-origin sourcing, and subscription services; a direct Benelux peer mirroring WAY's roastery-plus-café-plus-e-commerce structure.
• La Cabra: Danish specialty roaster with bakeries in Copenhagen and Aarhus, combining in-house roasting, café-bakery operations, and a strong e-commerce/subscription business; a clear analogue to WAY's café-bakery-academy ecosystem.
• Caffènation: Belgian specialty coffee roaster headquartered in Antwerp with its own cafés and an e-commerce site; comparable to WAY as a Belgian craft roaster combining roastery, retail cafés, and direct-to-consumer bean sales for specialty consumers.

Emerging players

• Hasbean Coffee: UK-based specialty roaster focused heavily on single-origin e-commerce and direct-trade; comparable to WAY on the DTC-bean side, though without the multi-location café component.

Broad incumbents

• Square Mile Coffee Roasters: Established London specialty roaster with a much wider European wholesale and training footprint (the Square Mile Academy); a broader incumbent in the same specialty-roaster-with-education category as WAY's academy.

Others

• Moccamaster: Dutch manufacturer of premium filter coffee machines that WAY retails across its cafés and e-commerce; relevant as an ecosystem supplier/partner rather than a competitor, since their product is core to WAY's equipment offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WAYCoffeeRoasters
• Instagraminstagram.com/waycoffeeroasters.gent
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/way-coffee-roasters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries5 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 WAY Coffee Roasters