The Well Coffeehouse

What The Well Coffeehouse does

The Well Coffeehouse is a Nashville-based nonprofit specialty coffee roaster and multi-unit coffeehouse operator founded in 2012 by Rob Touchstone and Chris Soper. The company operates seven brick-and-mortar coffeehouse locations across the Nashville metro area (Music Row, Brentwood, Green Hills, Cool Springs/Franklin, and Bellevue) plus a location in Fishers, Indiana, supported by a roasting and production facility at 5000 Linbar Drive, Nashville. Its mission, branded as "Turning Coffee Into Water," directs a portion of profits toward global clean water projects; the company reports funding 83 water projects impacting 507,454 people across 25 countries and over $500,000 in cumulative donations since inception.

The product portfolio centers on small-batch roasted coffee, including three named blends (Watershed light roast, Confluence medium roast, Tributary dark roast), a Decaf Colombia, and rotating limited-time single-origin offerings sourced from Rwanda, Colombia, Papua New Guinea, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Honduras. Coffee is sold through retail coffeehouses, a Shopify-powered e-commerce store, a three-tier subscription program (Well Driller weekly, Well Partner bi-weekly, Well Keeper monthly), and a B2B wholesale channel serving cafes, churches, hotels, workplaces, and grocers. The technology stack is built on commodity SaaS infrastructure: Shopify for direct-to-consumer commerce, Toast Tab for in-store point-of-sale and order-ahead, and UPS/USPS for fulfillment logistics.

The company generates revenue across five streams: in-store retail beverage and food sales, direct-to-consumer e-commerce, recurring subscriptions, B2B wholesale, and branded merchandise. Distribution and supply chain include bakery operations in-house. The leadership team is led by CEO Mark Barns alongside co-founders Rob Touchstone and Chris Soper, with a workforce of approximately 52 employees spanning Roasting & Production, Store Management & Operations, Marketing, Finance & HR, and Bakery departments. In 2025 the company completed a rebrand to "The Well Coffee Roasters" and entered a partnership with Nashville-based social enterprise Thistle Farms.

Name

The Well Coffeehouse

Legal name

The Well Coffeehouse, Inc

Website

https://wellcoffeehouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Well Coffeehouse is a Nashville-based nonprofit specialty coffee roaster and coffeehouse operator running 7 locations, an e-commerce and subscription business, and a B2B wholesale program, with profits funding global clean water projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Nonprofit coffeehouse operations
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Coffee subscription service
• Direct trade coffee sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffeehouse Sales: In-store sales of coffee beverages and food at 6+ coffeehouse locations in Nashville area and Fishers, IN. Online ordering ahead for in-store pickup via Toast Tab platform.
2. E-commerce Coffee Sales: Online sales of bagged coffee including year-round blends, limited time offerings, and subscriptions. Products available in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes with whole bean and ground options. Free shipping on orders $75+.
3. Wholesale Coffee Program: B2B wholesale supply of coffee, cups, filters, syrups, alternate milks, teas, and other supplies to cafés, churches, hotels, workplaces, and grocers. Free delivery within 25 miles. Private label services for bagged coffee available.
4. Coffee Subscriptions: Recurring subscription deliveries of year-round blends (Watershed, Confluence, Tributary, Decaf) and Roaster's Choice single-origin selections. Frequencies include weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly options with named impact tiers (The Well Driller, The Well Partner, The Well Keeper).
5. Merchandise and Goods: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel, hats, bags, tumblers, mugs, stickers, and coffee gear (Chemex, Hario products, Kalita filters).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Well Coffeehouse is a nonprofit specialty coffee roaster and retail coffeehouse operator that sells small-batch direct-trade coffee through bagged retail sales, recurring subscriptions, B2B wholesale distribution, and seven brick-and-mortar coffeehouse locations. Its 501(c)(3) status channels coffee revenues into global clean water projects through ten partner organizations, making mission-driven impact the core differentiator behind the products and services offered.

Product overview

The Well Coffeehouse operates as a specialty coffee roaster and nonprofit with a dual-brand identity: The Well Coffee Roasters (for retail coffee products) and The Well Coffeehouse (for brick-and-mortar locations). The core product portfolio centers on roasted coffee available in three year-round blends—Watershed (light roast), Confluence (medium roast), and Tributary (dark roast)—plus Decaf Colombia, all sold in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb bags. Limited Time Offerings feature rotating single-origin coffees from specific farms. A subscription service offers weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly deliveries with Roaster's Choice options. The wholesale program serves cafes, businesses, and organizations with fresh coffee, supplies, and training. Seven coffeehouse locations across the Nashville area provide in-store dining, order-ahead pickup, and bulk coffee services. Supporting products include merchandise, coffee gear, gift cards, and coffee classes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Watershed Blend: Light roast blend (formerly Tico) - inspired by water flow and transformation
• Confluence Blend
• Tributary Blend
• Roaster's Choice Subscription

Products and services

• Watershed Blend Light roast year-round coffee blend sourced from Santa Rosa, Guatemala, with tasting notes of orange, almond, and chocolate. Sold in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb bags at the roaster's online store for individual consumers and gift pack bundling.
• Confluence Blend Medium roast year-round blend made from Brazilian and Honduran coffees with berry medley and chocolatey finish. Available in 12oz bags online for retail consumers and through wholesale supply.
• Tributary Blend Dark roast year-round blend from farmers and co-ops across Central and South America, suited for espresso. Tasting notes include brown sugar, orange, and chocolate; sold as whole bean or ground in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes.
• Decaf Colombia Medium roast decaffeinated Colombian coffee processed using naturally derived ethyl acetate from sugarcane molasses. Tasting notes include cola, honey, and citrus; sold in 12oz bags.
• Limited Time Single-Origin Offerings Seasonally rotating single-origin coffees sourced from specific farms and regions worldwide, including Rwanda Dukorere Kawa, Papua New Guinea Chimbu, Colombia El Bombo, and Costa Rica La Cumbre. Available in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes via the online store.
• Roaster's Choice Subscription Monthly subscription in which the coffee team selects a standout limited-time offering from the rotating single-origin lineup and delivers it to subscribers for $20.50 per delivery.
• Year-Round Blend Subscriptions Recurring coffee subscription offering weekly (The Well Driller), bi-weekly (The Well Partner), and monthly (The Well Keeper) deliveries of year-round blends to individual subscribers.
• Wholesale Coffee Program B2B program supplying freshly roasted coffee plus cups, filters, syrups, alternate milks, and teas to cafés, churches, hotels, workplaces, and grocers. Includes barista training, cupping sessions, roasting insights, free delivery within 25 miles of the Nashville roasting facility, and private label services for bagged coffee.
• The Well Coffeehouses Seven brick-and-mortar coffeehouses serving specialty coffee drinks, food, and community events across the Nashville area (Music Row, Brentwood, Green Hills, Cool Springs/Franklin, Bellevue) and Fishers, Indiana. Select locations feature live music stages and rentable conference rooms.
• Coffee Classes Educational coffee classes covering brew methods, latte art, and coffee cupping, held at the roasting facility's cupping lab and training area.
• Brew for the Crew Bulk Coffee Bulk brewed coffee service delivering freshly brewed coffee in large batch quantities for offices and events.
• Coffee Gift Packs Coffee gift packs available in 8oz bags in quantities of 5 to 200 with volume pricing discounts, suitable for corporate gifting and individual purchases, drawn from year-round blends and limited-time offerings.
• eGift Cards Digital gift cards redeemable at any coffeehouse location for in-store purchases or order-ahead transactions.
• Merchandise Branded merchandise assortment including apparel (caps, t-shirts, sweatshirts), drinkware (tumblers, mugs, latte glasses), tote bags, stickers, and candles including a Thistle Farms candle collaboration.
• Coffee Gear Home brewing equipment and accessories including Chemex, Hario V60 drippers and filters, Kalita Wave filters, Hario kettles and grinders, and AeroPress filters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 507,454 people directly impacted by clean water access
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Water For PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2025Primary water impact partner. Through this partnership, The Well funded $15,000 toward Project #78 in Rwanda's Karongi district, bringing clean water to 88,803 people. Water For People partners with local governments and communities for sustainable water solutions.
• Water For GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater partner for Project 83 in Bensa, Ethiopia. Water For Good received $20,000 USD to fund three new water sources serving 775 people in Denbi Alawa, Kale Hiywot, and Ketema Aguta villages.
• Living Water ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 10 water partners helping fund clean water projects globally through The Well's 'Turning Coffee Into Water' mission.
• Project R12coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater partner in The Well's network of 10 water impact organizations supporting global clean water projects.
• Blood WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater partner in The Well's network of 10 water impact organizations supporting global clean water projects.
• Healing WaterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst-time partnership for Project 75 in El Pajal, Guatemala. Healing Waters specializes in water projects requiring advanced engineering expertise, using 100% solar power to bring water up mountains and pipe it to household taps.
• Thistle FarmscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNashville-based nonprofit partnership where The Café at Thistle Farms exclusively serves The Well's coffee. The Well features Thistle Farms' Love Heals candles (Sea Salt & Driftwood, Lavender) in their stores. Both organizations serve marginalized communities through purpose-driven business.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster with owned cafes, subscription service, and direct-trade sourcing — operates a structurally similar roastery-cafe-DTC model, though at much larger scale.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster operating cafes, draft latte distribution, wholesale accounts, and DTC e-commerce — comparable multi-channel specialty coffee operator at similar scale.
• Colectivo Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster with a network of cafes, wholesale program, and subscription — closely mirrors The Well's roaster-plus-cafe-plus-wholesale model, though at larger scale and Midwest-focused.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster with multiple cafes, subscription, and a strong farm-direct sourcing program — comparable mid-sized roaster-cafe hybrid focused on quality and origin storytelling.
• Onyx Coffee Lab: Award-winning specialty roaster with cafe, wholesale, and subscription — comparable craft-focused roaster competing in the same premium specialty tier as The Well.
• Crimson Cup Coffee: Specialty roaster with a strong wholesale and 'Coffee Shop in a Box' turnkey program for new cafe owners — overlaps with The Well's wholesale/consulting offer for new coffee business owners.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster with direct-trade sourcing, a wholesale program serving cafes and businesses, training/education programs, and DTC subscriptions — directly comparable to The Well's coffee roaster + wholesale + subscription model.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with strong wholesale accounts, barista training, and DTC e-commerce — a benchmark specialty roaster/cafe hybrid against which The Well competes.

Emerging players

• BLK & Bold: Mission-driven specialty coffee brand (for-profit B-Corp) that donates a portion of revenue to youth-focused causes and sells DTC subscriptions — closely parallels The Well's impact-driven positioning though D2C only, no cafes.

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks: Global coffee incumbent with roasting operations, cafes, wholesale accounts, and subscription — defines the competitive backdrop for any specialty roaster/operator including The Well, especially via Starbucks Reserve.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCii2Wg2HxLbTfq2E0nYWr7A
• Facebookfacebook.com/wellcoffeehouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/well-coffeehouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/wellcoffeeroasters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Well Coffeehouse