La Colombe Coffee Roasters
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Coffee roasting and retail |
| Predecessor | La Colombe Torrefaction |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | JP Iberti, Todd Carmichael |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia , United States |
Area served | United States, South Korea (historically) |
Key people | Todd Carmichael (CEO) |
| Products | Coffee, Draft Latte, Nitro cold brew, Different Drum rum, instant coffee cans |
| Owner | Chobani |
| Parent | Chobani |
| Website | www |
La Colombe Coffee Roasters—initially known as La Colombe Torrefaction—is a U.S.-based coffee roaster and retailer with its headquarters located in Philadelphia. Established in 1994 by founders JP Iberti and Todd Carmichael, the company runs cafés in prominent cities such as Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C.. In 2023, La Colombe was purchased by Chobani for $900 million, representing a major growth milestone for Chobani and expanding La Colombe’s international reach.
Recognized as a key player in the third-wave coffee movement, La Colombe has gained a competitive edge through its handcrafted coffee offerings and forward-thinking business approach. The brand’s market impact and expansion efforts were acknowledged with a BevNet "Rising Star" accolade in 2017, underscoring its prominence within the specialty coffee sector.
History
Todd Carmichael and JP Iberti launched La Colombe in 1994, initially operating in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square district.
In 2015, Hamdi Ulukaya—the founder of Chobani—acquired ownership by purchasing shares from private equity firm Goode Partners and facilitated raising $28.5 million to support the company’s growth. This move positioned La Colombe among the few boutique coffee roasters to secure substantial investment or acquisition deals during that year.
Acquisition
In July 2023, Keurig Dr Pepper invested $300 million to acquire a one-third stake in La Colombe.[1]
By December 2023, Chobani completed the acquisition of La Colombe for $900 million. As part of the transaction, Keurig Dr Pepper’s equity was converted into a minority interest in Chobani, which funded the purchase with a $550 million loan.[2][3]
Locations
Among the earliest outlets were the original Philadelphia café and additional venues in New York City (Tribeca, SoHo), Chicago, and Washington, D.C. The first Chicago café debuted in 2011; that same year saw the opening of a second Philadelphia location near City Hall.
By 2013, La Colombe had expanded internationally with three cafés operating in Seoul, South Korea. In 2015, the company relocated its headquarters to new premises in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood, coinciding with an ambitious plan to add 150 new locations over several years. Expansion efforts commenced in Boston (2015), followed by openings in Los Angeles (Beverly Hills and Silver Lake), along with further outlets in Washington, D.C., Chicago (Lincoln Park), and San Diego (Westfield UTC) through 2017.
The brand entered the Texas market in 2021 with a store inside Whole Foods Market in Austin. However, both Boston cafés were shuttered by 2025 due to underperformance.
As of 2025, La Colombe maintains around 30 locations across U.S. cities including Philadelphia, New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, Austin, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
Additionally, since its launch in 2020, Pittsburgh’s Coop de Ville restaurant has featured a walk-up window serving La Colombe coffee.[4]
Retail products
In 2016, the firm introduced a canned version of its Draft Latte, which is a cold-pressed espresso combined with frothed milk and was previously available only on tap. The initial launch included four distinct flavors, with packaging designed by CEO Todd Carmichael and manufactured by Crown Holdings. These cans incorporated a valve system that injects nitrous oxide to produce the characteristic froth. That same year, production operations were relocated from Pennsylvania to a newly established facility in Norton Shores, Michigan.
Around 2015, the company developed a Nitro cold brew coffee product. Additionally, their portfolio features Different Drum, a coffee-infused rum crafted at a micro-distillery located within their Fishtown, Philadelphia café. Their retail selection also includes single-origin and blended roasted coffees available both in physical stores and online. Furthermore, La Colombe offers cold brew coffee in larger 42-ounce bottles for retail customers.
In 2020, La Colombe unveiled a pioneering instant coffee can equipped with self-heating technology, designed to provide enhanced convenience for consumers on the go.
Collaborations
In 2013, La Colombe collaborated with the Clinton Foundation to create the Haiti Coffee Academy. This initiative focuses on improving the livelihoods of Haitian coffee farmers by providing training programs, establishing a demonstration farm, and optimizing supply chains for both local consumption and export markets.
In 2016, the company partnered with Philadelphia-based Yards Brewing Company to produce a coffee stout that was featured in select Shake Shack locations locally. That same year, La Colombe joined forces with Icelandic brewery Einstök and Yards Brewing to develop Snorri's Awakening, a coffee-infused pale ale.
In 2021, La Colombe expanded its retail presence by teaming up with Whole Foods Market to open new outlets in New York City and Austin.
See also
External links
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