Kahls Kaffe Ab

What Kahls Kaffe Ab does

Kahls Kaffe AB is a privately held, family-owned Swedish coffee roastery and tea blender founded in 1911 in Gothenburg by Carl Birger Nilsson and now led by third-generation CEO Mats Nilsson (since 1987). The company roasts coffee and blends tea in-house at a modern FSSC 22000 / ISO 22000 certified facility in Västra Frölunda (Gothenburg), using biogas-powered roasters and offering a full portfolio of whole bean, ground, espresso, flavored, seasonal, decaffeinated, and freeze-dried coffees alongside loose and bagged teas including matcha. Its product portfolio is complemented by brewing equipment (espresso machines, grinders, filters, water coolers), accessories (syrups, jams, chocolate), and certifications including Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, KRAV, EU Organic, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market: direct enterprise field sales to cafés, restaurants, offices, and hotels in Sweden with dedicated account managers; a franchise retail network of approximately 20 Kahls The & Kaffehandel stores across Sweden (pilot opened 2002 in Uddevalla); reseller and specialty retail distribution; vending company partnerships; wholesale supply; and a private label / OEM manufacturing service for brands seeking custom-certified production. There is no direct-to-consumer e-commerce — private individuals purchase through franchise stores or resellers, while B2B customers access a login-gated ordering portal. Revenue is generated from product sales, private label production, franchise fees, and equipment/accessory sales, with quote-based, per-account B2B pricing.

Sourcing is rooted in long-term direct supplier relationships in coffee origins (Peru, Honduras, Brazil, Burundi) and tea origins (India, Rwanda, plus other regions), with documented investments in cooperatives, microlots, and two-premium Fairtrade models. Sustainability investments include biogas roasting, electric delivery vehicles, and quantifiable reductions in transport emissions (~60% from 2019–2022) and combustible waste (~50% since 2016). The company is wholly Swedish-domiciled with no disclosed international B2B expansion, no external institutional or private equity investment, and no public listing.

Name

Kahls Kaffe Ab

Legal name

Kahls Kaffe AB

Website

https://kahls.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kahls Kaffe AB is a family-owned Swedish coffee roastery and tea blender, founded in 1911 in Gothenburg, supplying roasted coffee, blended teas, and equipment to Swedish cafés, offices, hotels, retailers, and private label brands via direct field sales, ~20 franchise stores, and wholesale channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coffee Roasting and Tea Blending

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

Keywords

• Coffee roasting services
• Tea blending products
• Private label coffee
• Specialty coffee wholesale
• B2B coffee supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Västra Frölunda

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices24 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B product sales (coffee, tea, accessories): Kahls sells its branded coffee, tea, and accessories directly to businesses (cafés, restaurants, offices, hotels) and through resellers/vending companies/wholesalers. Products include whole beans, ground coffee, espresso blends, flavored coffee, seasonal coffees, decaffeinated, freeze-dried, and loose/bagged teas.
2. Private label manufacturing: Kahls produces custom-branded coffee and tea products for other companies, from recipe development through packaging. Works with startups and established brands alike. Certified under ISO 22000 and FSSC, offering organic, Fairtrade, and Rainforest Alliance options.
3. Franchise fees (Kahls The & Kaffehandel): Kahls The & Kaffehandel is a franchise chain with approximately 20 locations across Sweden. Franchisees pay fees to use the Kahls brand, receive training, marketing materials, and supply chain support. The franchise concept started in 2002.
4. Equipment and accessories sales: Sale of brewing equipment, espresso machines, grinders, filters (e.g., Bonamat 90mm, Coffee Queen 110mm), water coolers, cleaning products, syrups, marmalades, and confectionery.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kahls Kaffe Ab is a Swedish family-owned coffee roastery and tea blender founded in 1911, operating from Västra Frölunda in Gothenburg. The company roasts coffee, blends teas, and supplies coffee accessories, serving B2B customers such as cafés, restaurants, offices, and hotels, and operating a franchise retail concept called Kahls The & Kaffehandel with approximately 20 stores. It also offers private label/co-packed coffee manufacturing for other brands.

Product overview

Kahls Kaffe Ab is a family-owned Swedish coffee roastery and tea blender founded in 1911 in Gothenburg, operating as a B2B supplier to businesses, cafes, restaurants, and offices. The product portfolio centers on two core offerings: roasted coffee (Kaffe) available in multiple variants including Premium, Professional, Espresso, Seasonal, Flavored, Decaffeinated, and Freeze-dried; and tea (Te) including loose tea bulk, packaged tea, tea bags, and Matcha. These core products are complemented by equipment (espresso machines, coffee makers, grinders, water coolers, brewing equipment, filters) and accessories (syrups, jams, chocolate, confectionery, café supplies). The company offers value-added services including Corporate Solutions (Företagslösningar) for tailored business packages, Private Label for custom brand creation, a Reseller Program for wholesale distribution, and Franchise opportunities for Kahls The & Kaffehandel retail stores. The Kahls The & Kaffehandel is also a tea and coffee education platform (Te- & Kaffeskola) offering study visits and tastings. All products are produced in their FSSC 22000-certified Gothenburg facility with options for Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, EU-organic, and KRAV certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kahls The & Kaffehandel: Franchise retail chain of tea and coffee stores operating under the Kahls brand, selling freshly roasted coffee, loose-leaf tea, chocolate, and accessories. Stores are operated by independent franchisetakers across Sweden.

Products and services

• Roasted Coffee
• Tea
• Coffee and Tea Accessories
• Private Label Coffee Manufacturing
• Kahls The & Kaffehandel Franchise Concept

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of all purchased coffee is certified
• +5 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Guima (Brazil)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Guima, based in Cerrado Mineiro, southeastern Brazil, has been operating since 1977. Nearly 70% of Guima's coffee is specialty grade. Kahls began purchasing specialty coffee after a visit in 2018. Guima's coffee is used in the Masterpiece series and Brazil Cerrado blend. Certifications include Rainforest Alliance.
• Akawa Project (Burundi)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The Akawa Project aims to increase and raise living standards for coffee producers in Burundi by improving yields and quality while taking environmental responsibility. Kahls has partnered to provide tools, protective clothing, and certification support. Coffee from this partnership is used in single-origin Burundi AA and blends like Caffé Inferno. Kahls visited Hilaire Ndimurukundo (CEO of Succam, which operates washing stations for Akawa) in 2017 before beginning the partnership.
• Amprocal (Honduras)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Amprocal is a women-led cooperative founded in 2007 with 8 women in Ocotepeque, western Honduras, now with 130 associated women. Kahls began purchasing coffee after visiting in 2016. The cooperative produces its own biogas for drying coffee and makes organic fertilizers from coffee fruit pulp. Kahls, along with other partners, donated funds to start a microfinance program. Fairtrade premiums have been invested in education, shade trees for coffee plants, and a community school.
• Sol y Café (Peru)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Sol y Café is a coffee, cocoa, and rice cooperative in northeastern Peru. Kahls has purchased Fairtrade and organic specialty coffee from this cooperative since 2015. Products include Kahls Microlot series from members Gerardo Carranza and Isai Ojeda. Kahls pays two premiums: the Fairtrade premium and an additional direct premium to the cooperative for quality and workplace environment improvements. Funds have been used for renovating farms, soil health diagnostics, training, and healthcare.
• Parkwood Tea Exports (India)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParkwood Tea Exports is Kahls' supplier of Indian teas, led by Sujit Bhattacharyya with 80 years of combined experience. They source directly from Darjeeling, Assam, and Nilgiri estates, selecting teas according to Kahls' specifications. Certifications include ISO, HACCP, organic, and Rainforest. Parkwood also holds Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certifications.
• Sorwathe Tea Factory (Rwanda)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSorwathe Tea Factory in northwestern Rwanda has operated since 1972 and is one of Kahls' primary tea suppliers. Produces approximately 3,000 tonnes of tea per year with 3,000 employees. Kahls purchases green and black tea used in blends and sold as single-origin teas (e.g., Rwanda Rukeri FBOP organic). Certified Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, and organic.
• VisslanminorOthersKahls uses Visslan's whistle-blowing channel to ensure anonymous and secure reporting of misconduct by employees and stakeholders. Initial case handling is managed by Starck & Partner to guarantee independent handling.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group: Italian-headquartered global coffee manufacturer owning brands like Lavazza, Boncafé, and others. Comparable to Kahls as a vertically integrated roaster serving B2B foodservice and retail, though operating globally with much greater scale and brand portfolio breadth.
• Gevalia: Swedish coffee brand founded 1853, now owned by JDE Peet's. Comparable to Kahls as a Swedish heritage coffee brand with multi-channel distribution and consumer recognition, though now operates as part of a global incumbent rather than independent family ownership.
• Neumann Kaffee Gruppe: World's largest green coffee service group, Hamburg-based, with extensive operations across the coffee value chain (sourcing, trading, roasting). Comparable to Kahls in B2B coffee expertise and global producer relationships, but operates at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• JDE Peet's (Jacobs Douwe Egberts): Global coffee and tea group owning brands including Gevalia (Swedish heritage brand), Jacobs, Douwe Egberts, and L'OR. Comparable to Kahls in coffee/tea manufacturing and B2B/retail distribution across multiple markets, though vastly larger and portfolio-based.

Direct peers

• Dallmayr Kaffee: German coffee roaster and food service company with own retail stores (Dallmayr Delikatessen), strong heritage brand, and broad B2B supply. Comparable to Kahls in the combination of in-house roasting, branded retail, and corporate/foodservice customers, though serving the German/Austrian market rather than Sweden.
• Löfbergs: Sweden's largest family-owned coffee roaster, founded 1906 in Karlstad. Highly comparable to Kahls: similar heritage (100+ years), family ownership, in-house roasting, B2B focus on cafés/retailers, private label capability, and multiple sustainability certifications. Most direct competitor in the Swedish specialty/B2B coffee market.
• Tchibo GmbH: German coffee roaster with integrated retail/franchise model (Tchibo stores), strong B2B presence, and broad product range including roasted coffee and tea. Comparable to Kahls in combining roasting, retail footprint, and B2B sales, though at much larger scale and pan-European reach.
• Arvid Nordquist HAB: Swedish coffee and tea importer/brand founded 1884, family-owned. Directly comparable: in-house blending, B2B distribution, sustainability focus (Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade), and broad retail presence in Sweden. Competes head-to-head with Kahls in foodservice and retail coffee categories.
• Johan & Nyström: Stockholm-based specialty coffee roaster founded 1995, focused on direct trade, sustainable sourcing, and B2B/wholesale supply to Swedish cafés, restaurants, and offices. Comparable to Kahls in product, sourcing philosophy, and customer base, though smaller and more specialty-focused.

Regional players

• Carat Coffee AB: Swedish specialty coffee chain/café operator with multiple branded locations, comparable to the Kahls The & Kaffehandel franchise model. Overlaps with Kahls in Swedish foodservice coffee, though more café-operations focused than roastery/manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kahls.kaffe
• Instagraminstagram.com/kahlskaffe

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Kahls Kaffe Ab