Espresso House

Last updated
Espresso House
Company type Subsidiary
Industry
Founded1996;29 years ago (1996) in Lund, Sweden
Founder
  • Elisabet Asker
  • Charles Asker
Headquarters,
Sweden
Number of locations
510 (2023)
Area served
Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, and Sweden
RevenueIncrease2.svg 1.4 billion SEK  (2018)
Increase2.svg 125.368 million SEK (2018)
Decrease2.svg -4.940 million SEK (2018)
Total equity Decrease2.svg 76.820 million SEK
Number of employees
1697 (December 2018)
Parent JAB Holding Company (2015)
Subsidiaries Johan & Nyström
Website espressohouse.com

Espresso House is the largest coffeehouse chain in the Nordic countries. [1] [2] The company was founded in Lund, Sweden in 1996 by Elisabet and Charles Asker. In April 2023 it reached over 510 locations throughout Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Germany.

Contents

History

Espresso House was founded by the couple Elisabet and Charles Asker with the coffee bar Café Java in Gothenburg. The first café bearing the name Espresso House opened on street Kyrkogatan in Lund 1996. [3] In 2005 the chain consisted of sixteen different cafes, which in March 2018 had expanded to 430 coffee shops. [4] All bread and pastry served is baked by the central bakery Espresso House Bakery in Malmö. [5]

Organisation

JAB Holding Company, who in connection with the purchase of Espresso House also bought Baresso Coffee in Denmark, decided during the fall of 2016 that all 45 cafés in the Danish chain would convert to Espresso House. [6]

One thing that's relatively unique for Espresso House is that all coffee houses are corporate-owned, unlike similar chains, like Starbucks, that sometimes use franchising. [4] [7]

Until September 2012, Espresso House was owned by the British private equity firm Palamon Capital Partners, that also acquired the coffee shop chain Coffee Cup that started in Stockholm 1997. The two brands were united under Espresso House. In September 2012, the chain was acquired by the Norwegian private equity firm Herkules Capital that later sold it again in 2015 to the German family business JAB Holding Company. [8]

Locations

As of April 2023, there were 510 stores in the following countries: [9]

CountryNumber of stores
Denmark 76
Finland 73
Norway 63
Sweden 258
Germany 40

Impact

Espresso House has been compared to Starbucks in North America in regards to its ubiquity and spread. In Norway, the chain has become a symbol of gentrification and "commercial monoculture". [10] [11] [12] [13]

In January 2022 the Finnish investigative journalism show M.O.T reported multiple occasions of mismanagement, hygiene related issues and employees having monthly working hours exceeding lawful limits. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cappuccino</span> Drink made with espresso coffee and steamed milk

Cappuccino is an espresso-based coffee drink that is traditionally prepared with steamed milk including a layer of milk foam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starbucks</span> American multinational coffeehouse chain

Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker at Seattle's Pike Place Market initially as a coffee bean wholesaler. Starbucks was converted into a coffee shop serving espresso-based drinks under the ownership of Howard Schultz, who was chief executive officer from 1986 to 2000 and led the aggressive expansion of the franchise across the West Coast of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffeehouse</span> Establishment that serves coffee

A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café, is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve iced coffee among other cold beverages, such as iced tea, as well as other non-caffeinated beverages. A coffeehouse may also serve food, such as light snacks, sandwiches, muffins, cakes, breads, donuts or pastries. In continental Europe, some cafés also serve alcoholic beverages. Coffeehouses range from owner-operated small businesses to large multinational corporations. Some coffeehouse chains operate on a franchise business model, with numerous branches across various countries around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle's Best Coffee</span> Coffee retailer and wholesaler

Seattle's Best Coffee LLC is a subsidiary of Nestlé whose brand is used to sell wholesale coffee, ground coffee, and coffee K-cups. While this brand used to have coffeehouses in the United States, it no longer advertises them on its website. Some of these coffeehouses have converted to Starbucks while Starbucks previously owned this brand. Focus Brands owns the franchising rights for this brand's coffeehouses for international markets and military bases.

<i>Café au lait</i> Drink made with coffee and hot milk

Café au lait is coffee with hot milk added. It differs from white coffee, which is coffee with cold milk or other whiteners added.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fazer</span> Finnish confectionery and food company

Fazer is one of the largest corporations in the Finnish food industry. The company was founded by Karl Fazer in 1891, as a "French-Russian confectionery" in central Helsinki. Today, it employs over 6,000 people across Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Norway and Poland. Its products are exported to more than 40 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruegger's</span> Restaurant operator in the United States

Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc. is a restaurant operator and subsidiary of the Luxembourg-based company JAB Holding Company. Bruegger's and its wholly-owned subsidiary Threecaf Brands Canada, Inc., are franchisers and operators of Bruegger's bakery-cafés, and Michel's Baguette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torrefazione Italia</span>

Torrefazione Italia is a high-end brand of Starbucks coffee beans sold in grocery stores. It started out as its own coffeehouse chain before being acquired by Starbucks in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Crust (restaurant chain)</span> Chain of baguette restaurants

Upper Crust is an international chain of baguette restaurants concentrated along commuter routes. The outlets are commonplace in stations and terminals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee culture</span> Traditions and social behaviors associated with the consumption of coffee

Coffee culture is the set of traditions and social behaviors that surround the consumption of coffee, particularly as a social lubricant. The term also refers to the cultural diffusion and adoption of coffee as a widely consumed stimulant. In the late 20th century, espresso became an increasingly dominant drink contributing to coffee culture, particularly in the Western world and other urbanized centers around the globe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne's Coffee</span> Swedish-based coffeehouse chain

Waynes, formerly known as Wayne's Coffee is a Swedish-based coffeehouse chain founded in Stockholm in 1994. It is now owned by Tank & Rast, and through its franchising model, it has coffeehouses in multiple countries in Europe and Asia.

Third-wave coffee is a movement in coffee marketing emphasizing high quality. Beans are typically sourced from individual farms and are roasted more lightly to bring out their distinctive flavors. Though the term was coined in 1999, the approach originated in the 1970s, with roasters such as the Coffee Connection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highlands Coffee</span> Vietnamese coffee shop chain

Highlands Coffee is a Vietnamese coffee shop chain and producer and distributor of coffee products, established in Hanoi by Vietnamese American David Thai in 1999. The establishment of the Highlands Coffee company marked the first time an overseas Vietnamese was able to register a private company within Vietnam. As of 2018, the company operates 230 coffee shops across Vietnam. In 2011, Highlands Coffee purchased the pho chain Phở 24 from Lý Quí Trung for an estimated US$20 million. The next year, Highlands sold 50% of its shares to the Philippine multinational chain Jollibee for US$25 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Café Allegro</span> Coffeeshop in Seattle, Washington

Café Allegro is a coffeeshop in the University District of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is notable for being one of the city's first espresso shops and for its role in the history of Starbucks, as the place where founding proprietor Dave Olsen designed the Starbucks coffee product line. Situated in an alleyway, the cafe features multiple entrances and rooms.

Seattle is regarded as a world center for coffee roasting and coffee supply chain management. Related to this, many of the city's inhabitants are coffee enthusiasts; the city is known for its prominent coffee culture and numerous coffeehouses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee wars</span> Competition between coffee businesses for market share

Coffee wars, sometimes referred to as caffeine wars, involve a variety of sales and marketing tactics by coffeehouse chains and espresso machine manufacturers to increase brand and consumer market share. In North America belligerents in these wars typically include large coffeehouses, such as Starbucks, Dunkin', McDonald's, and Tim Hortons. According to The Economist, the largest coffee war of the late 2000s was between Starbucks and McDonald's in the United States. The U.S. market has, since the early 2010s, been primarily contested by its two largest players, Starbucks and Dunkin'. Since 2020, competition over the Chinese coffee market has intensified between Starbucks and Luckin Coffee.

JAB Holding Company S.à r.l. is a German conglomerate, headquartered in Luxembourg, that includes investments in companies operating in the areas of consumer goods, coffee, luxury fashion, animal health, and fast food, among others.

Countries have cultivated coffee beans into various vehicles to satisfy needs unique to each country. Whether it be for energy, socialization, or tradition, the cultivation of coffee has served as a motivating force of the world. The modernization of coffee and its unique forms across cultures are markers of tradition and modern changes across continents. Coffee culture appears in the way in which people consume coffee, the way they make it, and where coffee is served and shared. Each of these factors combined reflects the lives of the people in these countries and the importance of coffee across the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Café Hagen</span> Chain of bakeries and coffee shops in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Café Hagen is a small chain of Scandinavian bakeries and coffee shops in Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington. Founded by owner Maria Beck in December 2019, the business has operated in South Lake Union, downtown Seattle, and Queen Anne. Café Hagen has an associated coffee brand known as Hagen Coffee Roasters, which has competed in the United States Barista Championship and other coffee competitions.

References

  1. "Largest Nordic Coffee Chain Espresso House Bought by JAB". 2 June 2015. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2017. JAB Holding Company has reached a deal to buy the Nordic region's largest branded coffee chain, Espresso House, including 193 shops in Sweden and Norway.
  2. "Nye tyske ejere lukker Baresso" (in Danish). Fyens Stiftstidende. 6 September 2016. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017. Espresso House er den største kaffekæde i Norden med flere end 220 kaffebarer i Sverige, Norge, Finland og Danmark.
  3. "Så började det" [How it began]. Espresso House (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 9 October 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Om oss" [About us]. Espresso House (in Swedish). March 2018. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  5. "På menyn". Espresso House (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2019-12-17. Allt bröd och alla bakverk som vi serverar är bakat med kärlek och omsorg på Espresso House Bakery, vårt alldeles egna bageri som är beläget i Malmö. För att alltid kunna leverera färska produkter till våra coffee shops så fryser vi ned dem så fort de tagits ur ugnen, givetvis nygräddat.
  6. "Så er det slut med kendt kaffebar i Danmark" [That is the end of well-known coffee shop in Denmark]. B.T. (in Danish). 6 September 2016. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  7. "Franchised Stores". Starbucks. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  8. Butovitsch, Katarina (8 June 2015). "Espresso House får tyska ägare" [Espresso House get German owners]. Dagens Industri (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  9. "Find Us". Archived from the original on 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  10. Mcpherson, Ben (4 May 2015). "Vet du hva jeg hater? Starbucks. Vet du hva jeg hater mer? Espresso House". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  11. Nordbø, Dagfinn (8 March 2016). "Kjedehelvete". VG (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  12. Imeland, Vilde (19 March 2016). "Kjedelig utvikling? Espresso House overtar for Grünerløkkas mest kjente matbutikk, og Burger King åpner i Torggata". Natt og Dag (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  13. Fremstad, Hanne Sofie (29 March 2016). "- Løkka er blitt en catwalk". Dagsavisen (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  14. "Investigative report by YLE" (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.