Blue Bottle Coffee facts for kids
 |
|
Blue Bottle's facility in Oakland
|
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Coffee industry |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | W. James Freeman |
| Headquarters | , |
|
Area served
|
United States |
|
Key people
|
W. James Freeman, Founder Karl Strovink, CEO |
| Owner | Nestlé (68%) |
Blue Bottle Coffee, Inc. is a company that roasts and sells coffee. It started in Oakland, California, in the United States. In 2017, a big food and drink company called Nestlé bought most of Blue Bottle Coffee.
Blue Bottle Coffee is known for its "third wave coffee." This means they focus on making high-quality coffee. They often use special beans from a single place.
Contents
Where to Find Blue Bottle Coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee started in Oakland, California. Soon, it opened more shops in other places. The company first grew in the San Francisco Bay Area. This included famous spots like the San Francisco Ferry Building.
As of June 2021, Blue Bottle Coffee had 99 stores. You can find them in many cities. These include California, New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, and Chicago. They also have stores in Asia. These are in Seoul, Jeju City, Kyoto, Kobe, Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore.
How Blue Bottle Coffee Started
W. James Freeman created Blue Bottle Coffee in the early 2000s. He started it in the Temescal area of Oakland, California. Freeman named his company after one of Europe's first coffee houses. It was called The Blue Bottle Coffee House.
At first, James Freeman roasted coffee in small amounts. He wanted to sell it within 24 hours of roasting. This was a home-delivery service. But soon, Blue Bottle stopped deliveries. It opened as a regular coffee shop instead.
Growing the Coffee Business
Blue Bottle opened more locations in San Francisco. They also expanded to other parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2010, they opened their first New York shop. This was in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Their stores sometimes sell special drinks not on the main menu. One example is the "Gibraltar," which is a type of cortado.
- In 2012, Blue Bottle received $20 million. This money came from investors. It helped the company grow.
- In January 2014, Blue Bottle got another $25.75 million. This was a new round of funding.
- In 2015, the company raised $70 million. This money came from investors led by Fidelity.
- By 2017, the company had raised $120 million from investors.
- In February 2015, Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first store in Tokyo, Japan. It was in the Kiyosumi neighborhood.
- In September 2017, Nestle S.A. bought most of Blue Bottle Coffee. Nestle is the world's largest food and drinks company.
- In May 2019, Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first store in Seoul, South Korea.
- In December 2019, Blue Bottle Coffee tried something new. They tested not using disposable cups in some shops. Their goal was to create zero waste within one year.
- In April 2020, Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first store in Central, Hong Kong. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was open for takeaway only.
- In February 2022, Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first store in mainland China. It was called Yutong Cafe. This cafe is in a historic building in downtown Shanghai.
- In April 2024, Blue Bottle Coffee locations in the Boston area decided to form a union. The baristas wanted better pay and more say in how the cafes were run. They asked the company to recognize their union. When the company did not, the workers held a walkout across the state.
- In August 2024, Blue Bottle Coffee opened a gift shop in Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore. In April 2025, this shop became a full cafe. It was their first location in Southeast Asia.
- In September 2024, a union organizer named Remy Roskin was fired.
- In May 2025, the Blue Bottle Independent Union (BBIU) held another walkout. This was in the Boston area. They were protesting against actions by the company.
Other Coffee Companies to Explore
- Counter Culture Coffee
- Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters
- Revelator Coffee
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters
- List of coffeehouse chains
- List of coffee companies
See also
In Spanish: Blue Bottle Coffee Company para niños
