Zen Coffee Co.

What Zen Coffee Co. does

Zen Coffee Company is a privately held, women-owned specialty coffee retailer founded in 2016 in Omaha, Nebraska by co-founders Ryan and Abby. The company operates five company-owned cafes — four in the Omaha metropolitan area (Farnam Hill flagship, Tiffany Plaza, One Pacific Place, and Central Library) and one in Downtown Lincoln — serving a general local consumer base of professionals, students, families, and community-minded individuals in Nebraska. Its product offering centers on specialty coffee drinks sourced exclusively from roaster Dapper & Wise, complemented by in-house baked goods and a signature "flight" format that lets customers sample four drinks, four toasts, or non-caffeinated selections (with a kids' option and to-go sizes in 12/16/20 oz).

The business runs a direct-to-consumer retail model with no disclosed wholesale, catering, or franchise revenue; ancillary streams include Square-based order-ahead and digital gift card sales. Operations are differentiated by a Green Certified, near waste-free model (delivered through a Hillside Solutions partnership covering composting, recycling, and biodegradable packaging) and a community-engagement flywheel called the Give Back Latte program, which donates 15% of monthly specialty drink sales to rotating 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners. Technology is deliberately light: Square powers online ordering and gift cards, Slack handles internal staff coordination, and there is no proprietary platform or app; the website serves primarily as a marketing and information surface.

Zen Coffee Co. is independently owned and operated, with no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing and no parent company or subsidiaries. Headcount is reported in the 11-50 range, marketing is largely organic and community-driven, and there are no publicly disclosed financial figures, certifications beyond Green Certification, patents, or formal awards. The company's growth to date has been unit-based rather than capital-driven, with geographic expansion limited to the Omaha/Lincoln region.

Name

Zen Coffee Co.

Legal name

Zen Coffee Company

Website

https://zencoffeecompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zen Coffee Company is a women-owned, Green Certified specialty coffee retailer operating five cafes in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, serving local consumers with Dapper & Wise-sourced coffee, in-house pastries, and signature flight-format experiences, supported by a Give Back Latte nonprofit partnership program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Shops

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee shops
• Coffee flight tasting
• In-house bakery pastries
• Community giving program
• Order-ahead pickup

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Beverage and Food Sales: The primary revenue stream is from direct retail sales of specialty coffee drinks, food items (pastries, toast), and specialty seasonal offerings at five physical cafe locations. All pastries and baked goods are made in-house.
2. Gift Card Sales: Sale of gift cards through Square's gift card platform, providing upfront cash flow and driving future customer visits.
3. Give Back Latte Program: Monthly specialty drink program where 15% of sales are donated to nonprofit partners. While not directly revenue-generating for the company, this drives customer engagement and differentiates the brand.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zen Coffee Co. operates five company-owned specialty coffee cafes across Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, selling made-to-order coffee and toast flights, signature espresso drinks, in-house baked pastries, and seasonal beverages. The company differentiates through experiential flight tastings, exclusive Dapper & Wise roasted coffee, a Green Certified near waste-free operation, and a Give Back Latte program donating 15% of a monthly specialty drink's sales to a rotating local nonprofit.

Product overview

Zen Coffee Company is a Women Owned, Green Certified specialty coffee company operating five locations in the Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska area. The company offers specialty coffee drinks and food products through a combination of core offerings (coffee and toast flights available in-store or to-go, in-house pastries) and rotating specialty items (Give Back Latte program, seasonal menus). The flagship experience is the flight concept, allowing customers to sample four drinks or food items made to order. The company reinvests profits into local nonprofits through its Give Back Latte partnership program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coffee Flights A curated in-store tasting experience where guests choose any four drinks from the menu, with options to make selections vegan, sugar-free, or decaf. Made to order for optimal freshness.
• Toast Flights A tasting experience featuring any four toast options from the menu, with gluten-free, vegan, and substitution options always available.
• Kids Flight A non-caffeinated flight option for children featuring four selections such as lemonades or steamers.
• To-Go Coffee Flights Portable coffee flight options available in 12 oz, 16 oz, and 20 oz sizes for customers who want to enjoy flights on the move.
• Give Back Latte A monthly specialty drink program where 15% of every Give Back Latte sold is donated to a selected local nonprofit organization supporting causes like families, children, education, health, animals, and veterans.
• Pool Season Summer Menu Limited-time summer beverage lineup featuring tropical coconut, juicy peach, refreshing blackberry mojito, and nostalgic caramel flavors, designed for poolside enjoyment.
• In-House Pastries and Baked Goods All pastries and baked goods prepared in-house daily across the company's Nebraska cafes, prioritizing quality, freshness, and thoughtful sourcing.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dapper & WisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDapper & Wise is a roastery that grew from Insomnia Coffee Company in Hillsboro, Oregon. They source high-quality beans and work closely with farmers to ensure every coffee is thoughtfully developed and selected from origin to roast. Zen Coffee Co. serves Dapper & Wise coffee exclusively, representing a core strategic partnership that defines their product quality and brand positioning. The relationship is personal, rooted in founders' experiences discovering Insomnia Coffee in Cannon Beach before specialty coffee was established in Omaha.
• Hillside SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHillside Solutions enables Zen Coffee Co.'s near waste-free operational model, supporting the company's Green Certification status. This partnership is central to the company's sustainability initiatives across all locations, including composting, recycling, and biodegradable packaging.
• Monthly Nonprofit Partners (Give Back Latte Program)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRotating monthly nonprofit partners receive 15% of Give Back Latte specialty drink sales. Zen Coffee Co. actively recruits 501(c)(3) organizations in the Omaha/Lincoln area through an application process. Partners are expected to actively promote the campaigns to maximize awareness and fundraising impact.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Intelligentsia Coffee: Pioneering third-wave specialty coffee roaster operating its own cafes and wholesale channels. Comparable on premium single-origin sourcing, cafe experience, and quality narrative similar to Zen's positioning.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Third-wave specialty coffee roaster with cafes and wholesale partnerships. Comparable on specialty coffee sourcing standards, cafe experience, and reliance on a partner roastery identity similar to Zen's exclusive Dapper & Wise relationship.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster with cafes, draft latte canned beverages, and retail distribution. Comparable as a multi-location specialty coffee operator combining cafe experience with branded retail coffee products.
• Scooter's Coffee: Nebraska-headquartered specialty coffee chain offering drive-thru and kiosk specialty drinks with strong community/values orientation. Directly comparable as another Nebraska-rooted specialty coffee operator scaling across multiple locations, though operating a primarily drive-thru model versus Zen's cafe format.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with a strong community/values brand and multiple retail locations. Comparable as an independent-leaning specialty coffee chain with experiential cafe concepts.
• Dutch Bros Coffee: High-growth specialty coffee chain focused on drinks, community engagement, and a values-driven brand. Comparable as a competitor in the specialty, experience-led coffee category with strong community identity, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Third-wave specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator known for hospitality-led experience, design-forward cafes, and premium positioning. Highly comparable to Zen's specialty coffee, in-store experience, and quality-first brand ethos.

Emerging players

• Onyx Coffee Lab: Award-winning specialty coffee roaster with a small footprint of destination cafes. Comparable as a competition-grade third-wave coffee operator prioritizing quality, sourcing transparency, and craft barista experience.
• 7 Brew Coffee: Fast-growing specialty coffee drive-thru chain with strong community and brand energy. Comparable as a specialty coffee competitor scaling aggressively in regional markets where Zen also competes.

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks: Global coffee incumbent with extensive cafe footprint in Omaha and Lincoln. Relevant as the dominant local competitor setting baseline expectations for specialty beverages, mobile ordering, and loyalty.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zen-coffee-co.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Zen Coffee Co.