Camel Coffee Group

What Camel Coffee Group does

Camel Coffee Group (キャメル珈琲グループ) is a privately held Japanese food and beverage holding company founded in 1977 and headquartered in Setagaya, Tokyo, operating through multiple wholly-owned subsidiaries. Its primary consumer-facing brand is Kaldi Coffee Farm (カルディコーヒーファーム), a nationwide specialty coffee and imported-food retail chain operating physical stores across Japan — including Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Aichi, Chiba, and Saitama — alongside an owned e-commerce platform at kaldi.co.jp. The group also operates Camel Kitchen (cafe/restaurant operations), Chocolaterie Camel (chocolate products), and Camel Farm (winery), creating an integrated food and beverage ecosystem where internally produced wine and chocolate are merchandised through the Kaldi retail estate.

The group's product portfolio centers on imported specialty coffee beans (with direct sourcing via Cup of Excellence international auctions), private-label food products under the "Original" (オリジナル) and "Moheji" (もへじ) sub-brands spanning Japanese and international cuisines, award-winning wines from Camel Farm, and a curated assortment of imported gourmet foods, condiments, confections, and delicatessen items. The Original and Moheji brands demonstrate active SKU expansion, with multiple new product launches per month across 2026, several of which are featured on Japanese TV morning and evening programs, functioning as earned-media marketing. The company also engages in graduate recruitment annually, indicating ongoing workforce expansion.

The business model is direct-to-consumer through owned retail and e-commerce channels, supplemented by intra-group wholesale among the four operating subsidiaries. Revenue is generated primarily through in-store consumer purchases, online direct sales (including exclusive COE auction-lot gift sets), and sales through Camel Kitchen café/restaurant locations. The company appears to be family/founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional investors, no public listing, and no PE/VC backing; it has operated continuously since 1977 and remained actively operating through events including the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake.

Name

Camel Coffee Group

Legal name

株式会社キャメル珈琲

Website

https://camelcoffee.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Camel Coffee Group is a privately held Japanese food and beverage holding company founded in 1977 that operates the nationwide Kaldi Coffee Farm specialty retail chain alongside winery (Camel Farm), chocolate (Chocolaterie Camel), and café/restaurant (Camel Kitchen) subsidiaries, serving Japanese consumers through physical stores and e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Retail

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Wineries (312130), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bulk Beverage & Coffee/Tea Supply Stores (Retail + Wholesale) (CRAHAMAH), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Beverage Wholesale (AFAIAGAD), Specialty Coffee Adjacent Beverage Bars (Chai, Cacao, Alternative Lattes) (THAFAKAH)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Imported gourmet foods
• Private label products
• Specialty coffee beans
• Coffee shop chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Setagaya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Store Sales (Kaldi Coffee Farm): Operates physical retail stores under the Kaldi Coffee Farm brand, selling imported specialty coffee beans, private label food products, wines, and delicatessen items. Revenue generated from in-store customer purchases.
2. E-commerce / Online Store: Sells products through the Kaldi Coffee Farm official online store (kaldi.co.jp/ec), including specialty coffee beans, limited-edition auction lots (COE coffees), and private label food items.
3. Wholesale / B2B Supply: Group companies supply proprietary food and beverage products to group-owned retail locations. Camel Farm produces wines, Camel Kitchen operates cafes/restaurants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Camel Coffee Group operates a nationwide specialty coffee and imported gourmet food retail business through its Kaldi Coffee Farm brand in Japan. The company sells specialty coffee beans (including rare Cup of Excellence auction lots), private label food products under the Original and Moheji brands, wines produced by its Camel Farm Winery subsidiary, chocolates from Chocolaterie Camel, and operates Camel Kitchen cafes and restaurants. Distribution occurs through physical retail stores throughout Japan and an official e-commerce online store.

Product overview

Camel Coffee Group operates a diversified food and beverage business centered on Kaldi Coffee Farm specialty retail stores, with subsidiaries handling cafe/restaurant operations (Camel Kitchen), chocolate products (Chocolaterie Camel), and winery operations (Camel Farm). The core offering includes imported specialty coffees sourced through COE auctions, private-label food products under the Original and Moheji brands, and award-winning wines. The company maintains both physical retail locations across Japan and an e-commerce platform for online sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kaldi Coffee Farm (カルディコーヒーファーム): Coffee and food import specialty retail chain operating stores throughout Japan
• Camel Kitchen (株式会社キャメルキッチン)
• Chocolaterie Camel (株式会社ショコラトリーキャメル)
• Camel Farm Winery (株式会社キャメルファーム)

Products and services

• Kaldi Coffee Farm Retail Stores Physical retail chain under the Kaldi Coffee Farm brand, located in shopping malls, commercial complexes, and high streets throughout Japan. Stores offer specialty imported coffee beans, private label condiments/sauces/soups, wines, confections, and delicatessen items for individual consumers and households.
• Kaldi Coffee Farm Online Store E-commerce platform offering specialty coffee beans, limited-edition COE auction lots, original food products, and imported goods with delivery to customers across Japan.
• COE Auction Coffee Beans Premium specialty coffee beans sourced through Cup of Excellence (COE) international auctions, featuring top-ranking lots from award-winning farms worldwide. Includes Geisha, Pink Bourbon, and Pacamara varieties with detailed provenance including farm name, producer, elevation, processing method, and flavor profiles.
• Original Brand Products (オリジナル) Private label food products under the 'Original' brand including curry items, pasta products, sauces, dressings, snacks, and ready-to-eat meals featuring international cuisines, targeted at Japanese consumers seeking convenient gourmet options.
• Moheji Brand Products (もへじ) Japanese food products under the Moheji brand featuring Japanese-style sauces, dressings, soups, and condiments including Yuzu Ponzu, Shijimi Soup, Iburi Ganko Tartar Sauce, and Salad No Umi Tare.
• Camel Farm Wines Wines produced by Camel Farm Winery including sparkling wines (Camel Brut Methode Traditionnelle), Demi Sec, and red wines (Lemberger Private Reserve). Multiple award winners at international wine competitions including Sakura Award 2026 Gold medals and Decanter World Wine Awards 2026 recognition.
• Camel Kitchen Cafe and Restaurant Operations Subsidiary company operating cafes and restaurants within the Camel Coffee Group, providing food service alongside the group's retail coffee and food business.
• Chocolaterie Camel Subsidiary company specializing in chocolate products and confections for the Camel Coffee Group, offering premium chocolate offerings alongside coffee and food retail operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Directly acquired Mexico COE 2025 #1 (Santa Cruz Farm, Geisha Natural, score 90.83), Guatemala COE 2025 #12, Costa Rica COE 2025 #7, Nicaragua COE 2025 #10

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kaldi Coffee Farm (カルディコーヒーファーム)primaryOthersKaldi Coffee Farm is the main retail brand under Camel Coffee Group. It operates physical retail stores throughout Japan selling specialty coffee, imported foods, private label food products, wines, and confections. The brand also maintains an e-commerce online store (kaldi.co.jp). The partnership represents the core consumer-facing business of the group.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Doutor Coffee: Japan's largest domestic coffee-shop chain by store count, operating self-roasted coffee retail and cafes nationally. Directly comparable as a Japan-focused, vertically integrated specialty-coffee retail/cafe operator with nationwide store density similar to Kaldi Coffee Farm.
• Starbucks Coffee Japan: The dominant premium coffee chain in Japan with nationwide retail and licensed-store footprint. Comparable to Kaldi on nationwide Japan distribution, specialty-coffee positioning, and integration of food/merchandise into the coffee core offering.
• Tully's Coffee Japan: Specialty coffee chain operating hundreds of cafes across Japan under the Tully's brand. Closely comparable to Kaldi on specialty-coffee cafe retail, domestic Japanese operations, and parallel premium bean sourcing.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Premium specialty-coffee roaster and cafe operator with significant Japan presence. Comparable to Kaldi/Camel Coffee on premium single-origin sourcing, cafe-as-retail-format, and reputation for limited-edition bean releases.
• Peet's Coffee Japan: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe chain operating in Japan. Directly comparable as a specialty-grade bean retailer with cafe operations and curated single-origin/limited-lot offerings similar in spirit to Kaldi Coffee Farm.
• Excelsa Caffe (Italcafe): Italian-style specialty coffee importer and cafe operator in Japan with retail locations and wholesale/import operations. Comparable to Camel Coffee Group on imported specialty-bean wholesale-plus-retail structure in Japan.

Broad incumbents

• UCC Coffee Japan: Major Japanese coffee roaster and manufacturer operating across B2B supply, capsule/pod systems, and cafe retail. Comparable to Camel Coffee Group's vertically integrated coffee-manufacturing + retail (Kaldi) model, though at meaningfully larger B2B scale.
• AGF (Ajinomoto AGF): Large Japanese coffee processor (stick, instant, bottled) under Ajinomoto. Comparable to Camel Coffee on branded packaged-coffee CPG and foodservice/retail distribution, though AGF is much larger and far broader in instant/stick formats.

Regional players

• Sapporo Coffee Kan (and other Hokkaido-origin coffee importers/roasters): Regional Japanese specialty coffee importer/roaster with limited national footprint. Comparable niche overlap with Kaldi on direct-trade green coffee import and packaged specialty retail, but at smaller regional scale.

Emerging players

• Itohkyuemon (伊藤久右衛門): Specialty Japanese tea (matcha and sencha) retailer with cafes and wholesale across Japan. An adjacent F&B specialty retailer with a similar 'imported/specialty goods + food experience' playbook that roughly parallels the Kaldi fan base for premium at-home preparation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 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 Camel Coffee Group