8 Coffee Brand Success Stories [2024]
Here are some real life success stories of starting a coffee brand:
1. Golden Made Kafé ($24K/year)
Laure Lemboumba, the founder of Golden Made Kafe, came up with the idea for her business after working at a coffee manufacturing plant and realizing the impact that a single cup of coffee could have on someone's day. With a background in technology and logistics, Laure spent two years researching the coffee industry and collaborating with coffee roasters and packaging designers to bring her vision to life. Since launching, Golden Made Kafe has generated monthly revenue of $2,000 and is focused on expanding their customer base through word-of-mouth, paid advertising, and partnerships.
How much they make: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $7K
Current team size: 1
This case study follows the journey of Laure Lemboumba, Founder of Golden Made Kafe INTL, LCC, an online coffee supplier generating monthly revenue of $2,000 and planning to open 1-2 Coffeeshops in Houston and Gabon, while donating 10% of its profits to providing educational opportunities, safe water, and better sanitation around the world.
2. Camper Cafe ($180K/year)
Beth Baxter co-founded Camper Cafe, a mobile coffee van business, when her partner decided to convert his vintage VW campervan into a trailer for his motorcycles. Baxter suggested putting a coffee machine in the trailer instead, and the idea took off. Now, 11 years later, Camper Cafe is on its sixth mobile coffee unit and supplies major sporting events and works with international brands, generating around £150k in revenue from only 70 days of work per year.
How much they make: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 2
This case study follows the co-founder of Camper Cafe, a mobile coffee van business which started as a hobby and now has 6 units that supply the UK's biggest sporting events, commercial and film shoots, generating around £150k from working only 70 days of the year.
So... can you actually make money with a coffee brand?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Onit Coffee ($630K/year)
How much they make: $630K/year
How much did it cost to start: $120K
Current team size:
Onit Coffee is a Sacramento-based coffee food truck that offers vegan and planet-based drinks while donating a portion of their profits to neighborhood organizations.
4. Kalve Coffee Roasters ($1.8M/year)
Raimonds Zadvornovs and Gatis Zēmanis started Kalve Coffee Roasters in Riga, Latvia after realizing the limited access and high prices of specialty coffee in the market. With a low initial investment of approximately 60,000 EUR, they focused on creating accessible and sustainable products, expanding their customer base through word of mouth and opening a flagship store that now generates around 1,000-1,500 EUR in daily turnover. They credit their steady growth and success to their dedication and willingness to start slow and retain their independence.
How much they make: $1.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $60K
Current team size: 35
Latvian coffee roasting company grew from a team of 2 to 13, with a current monthly turnover of €80k, driven by word-of-mouth marketing, sustainable practices and developing accessible products for the specialty coffee market.
So... can you actually make money with a coffee brand?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
5. ChocoSol ($3M/year)
How much they make: $3M/year
Current team size: 11
ChocoSol, the Toronto-based artisanal chocolate and coffee brand, uses sustainable methods to make and package its products, working with small-scale farmers and supporting forest garden agriculture, and has won several national and international awards.
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings