What Tin Cup Coffee does

Tin Cup Coffee is a privately held, Nashville-based specialty coffee shop chain founded on January 21, 2013, and operated as a subsidiary of Horton Group, a local digital marketing agency. The company runs neighborhood cafes built around an in-house coffee roasting operation, which is unusual for the Nashville market and anchors its third-wave coffee positioning. Its core product mix includes handcrafted espresso drinks (lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, Americanos), house-roasted brewed coffee and cold brew, a curated tea selection, and a full food menu spanning breakfast burritos, wraps, salads, sandwiches, pastries, and yogurt parfaits.

The business operates two confirmed storefronts: a flagship cafe in the Gulch/downtown Nashville at 1201 Demonbreun Street Suite 100, and a grab-n-go location in Madison, TN at 600 Medical Park Drive (Skyline View) that shares space with Horton Group. The technology stack is conventional third-party SaaS: SpotHopper powers the website and digital marketing, ToastTab handles online pickup ordering, and DoorDash provides delivery. The Madison location is open Monday through Friday only, while the Gulch location operates six days a week.

Tin Cup generates revenue through four streams: in-store beverage sales, food sales, mobile coffee catering for events, and private party hosting in the cafe. Pricing is unit-based with espresso drinks at $3.00-$5.00, brewed coffee at $2.75+, and food items ranging from $6.50 for breakfast items to $12 for specialty wraps. The customer base is predominantly local walk-in retail consumers, supplemented by catering and event customers. There is no disclosed institutional funding, no enterprise customer concentration, and no online ordering beyond ToastTab pickup and DoorDash delivery.

Name

Tin Cup Coffee

Legal name

Tin Cup Coffee

Website

https://tincup.coffee

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tin Cup Coffee is a privately held Nashville specialty coffee shop chain operating two cafes (Gulch and Madison) with on-site roasting, serving locally roasted espresso, brewed coffee, tea, and a full food menu to walk-in retail and catering customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Shop

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC), Beverage Service (Coffee/Tea/Juice) & Refreshment Stations (HSACAGAJ)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee shop
• Espresso beverages
• In-house coffee roasting
• Coffee catering services
• Cafe food menu

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Beverage Sales: Revenue from selling specialty coffee drinks including lattes, cappuccinos, cold brew, espresso, and specialty/drinking chocolate.
2. Food Sales: Sale of food items including breakfast burritos, sandwiches, wraps, salads, pastries, and snacks.
3. Catering Services: Coffee catering for events serving signature lattes, house cold brew, cappuccinos, espresso shots, and pastries.
4. Private Event Hosting: Hosting private parties and events in their cozy café space.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tin Cup Coffee operates neighborhood coffee shops in the Nashville, TN area, offering house-roasted specialty coffee, handcrafted espresso drinks, premium teas, and a full food menu including breakfast and lunch items. The company also provides coffee catering services for events and rents its café space for private parties.

Product overview

Tin Cup Coffee is a locally-owned Nashville specialty coffee shop with multiple locations (downtown Nashville, Madison, and Opry Mills). The company operates as a unified café offering featuring in-house roasted coffee as its core product alongside a full food menu. Their product portfolio centers on handcrafted espresso drinks (lattes, cappuccinos, mochas), brewed coffee including cold brew, premium tea selections, and a complete breakfast/lunch menu with wraps, salads, sandwiches, and pastries. The company differentiates through on-site roasting operations (third-wave coffee approach), catering services for events, and private party hosting. They provide online ordering through ToastTab for pickup and DoorDash for delivery. The brand is operated by Horton Group and positioned as a third-wave coffee house emphasizing craftsmanship and quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Espresso Drinks Handcrafted espresso-based beverages including lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos, cortados, macchiatos, and mochas available in hot and iced varieties, sold at retail prices for individual consumers.
• Brewed Coffee House-roasted brewed coffee, drip coffee, cold brew, and coffee boxes (96oz) for catering or group orders, sold for individual consumption or group events.
• Tea Selection Premium steeped teas including English Breakfast by Tea Forte, Citrus Mint by Stash, and Jasmine Green, plus tea lattes such as chai and matcha, served to individual customers.
• Breakfast Menu Morning fare including breakfast burritos, egg and cheddar biscuits, ham and cheddar croissants, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast pizza, and toast, served to individual customers at retail prices.
• Lunch Menu Midday offerings including wraps (turkey pesto, Italian, Tex-Mex grilled chicken, ham and cheddar, chicken bacon ranch, veggie), salads (Southwest chicken, Tin Cup Cobb, power blend), sandwiches (Baked Italian, grilled cheese, BLT), and cheese quesadilla, sold at retail to individual customers.
• Pastries Freshly baked pastries including blueberry muffins, cranberry orange muffins, cinnamon buns, fudge brownies, croissants, bagels from Just Bagels (Brooklyn NY), and giant chocolate chip cookies, sold individually at retail.
• Yogurt Parfaits 12oz organic Greek yogurt parfaits with organic granola and mixed berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry), sold to individual customers.
• Coffee Catering Mobile coffee catering service for events serving signature lattes, house cold brew, classic cappuccinos, rich espresso shots, caramel macchiatos, iced mochas, and fresh pastries, targeted at event organizers and corporate customers.
• Private Event Space Private party hosting in a cozy, inviting café space for celebrations, offering signature coffees, sweet treats, and a warm atmosphere for groups booking the venue.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked among Nashville's top 9 best cafes and coffee shops by AboveAverageCoffee.com in July 2022.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Nashville Coffee CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2015Tin Cup Coffee partnered with the Nashville Coffee Collective to co-host events, including a 'Taste of Brazil' event featuring Felipe Croce from Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza in March 2015.
• Horton GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2013Horton Group created and operates Tin Cup Coffee. The marketing agency provides operational support and strategic direction. Tin Cup Coffee shares its Madison location with Horton Group at Skyline View.
• ToastTabcoreTechnology or IntegrationToastTab provides online ordering platform for Tin Cup Coffee's Gulch location, enabling customers to place pickup orders directly through order.toasttab.com.
• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDoorDash provides delivery service for Tin Cup Coffee's Madison/Shafter location, enabling customers to order coffee and food for home delivery.
• Just BagelsminorOthersTin Cup Coffee sources bagels from Just Bagels, a Brooklyn NY-based bagel supplier, for use in their breakfast menu items.
• Morningside FarmsminorOthersTin Cup Coffee uses vegan chipotle black bean burger patties from Morningside Farms in their Veggie Wrap menu item.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Blue Bottle Coffee: National third-wave specialty coffee company with on-site roasting, café locations, and a premium brand position. Concept-overlaps with Tin Cup's third-wave positioning but at materially larger scale.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Established third-wave coffee roaster and café operator with locations in multiple U.S. cities. Competes in the same specialty coffee category as Tin Cup at a national scale.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster with training centers and café partners across the U.S. Shares the third-wave, freshly-roasted value proposition with Tin Cup but operates as a larger wholesaler and educator.

Regional players

• The Well Coffeehouse: Specialty coffee shop and café concept operating outside Tennessee with a similar neighborhood, food-and-coffee model. Relevant as a comparable operating template, though geographically distinct from Tin Cup.

Direct peers

• Crema Coffee Roasters: Nashville specialty coffee roaster and café operator with multiple locations, focused on third-wave coffee, in-house roasting, and food service. Closely comparable in concept and city to Tin Cup.
• Fido: Beloved Nashville independent café serving specialty coffee, espresso drinks, and a full food menu. A direct neighborhood coffee shop competitor to Tin Cup in the Nashville market.
• Barista Parlor: Nashville-based specialty coffee shop known for third-wave coffee, espresso drinks, food menu, and stylish café spaces. Operates multiple Nashville-area locations, making it one of Tin Cup's closest direct competitors.
• Frothy Monkey: Nashville-born specialty coffee and food café with multiple locations across Tennessee, offering espresso, brewed coffee, breakfast and lunch. Competes with Tin Cup in the same Nashville specialty coffee category.
• Bongo Java: Long-established Nashville coffee shop and roaster with a strong local following, café locations, and a community-driven brand. Operates in the same Nashville specialty coffee segment as Tin Cup.
• Dose Coffee: Nashville-based specialty coffee shop with multiple locations in the city, focused on high-quality espresso and coffee drinks. A direct local competitor to Tin Cup in the Nashville specialty coffee market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tincupnash
• Instagraminstagram.com/tincupnash
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tin-cup-coffee

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 Tin Cup Coffee