Coffee Fellows
German coffeehouse chain offering coffee drinks, baked goods, light meals, and hospitality locations.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Coffee Fellows is a privately held German coffeehouse chain founded in Munich in 1999 by Kathrin Tewes. The concept grew out of Tewes's exposure to the more established coffeehouse cultures of London and North America during the 1990s. The business was conceived as a comfortable, informal place where customers could spend time while buying coffee, bakery products, and light food rather than as a narrowly focused takeaway counter. The first Coffee Fellows shop opened on Leopoldstraße in Munich. A second location in Düsseldorf was less successful, but a later shop on Schützenstraße in Munich performed better and became the company's first franchise location. Kathrin Tewes's husband, Stefan Tewes, joined the management in 2000 after leaving his consulting position at Roland Berger. He subsequently co-managed the business with her and brought his public profile as an Olympic gold medalist to the company, although Coffee Fellows remained primarily a privately managed retail and franchising operation. The chain expanded gradually during its first decade. It had ten German branches by 2007 and 36 shops by the end of 2010, with most locations concentrated in southern Germany. In 2011, Coffee Fellows acquired 25 branches of Coffeeshop Company, principally in shopping centres in northern and eastern Germany. This transaction accelerated geographic expansion and helped place Coffee Fellows among Germany's leading coffeehouse chains. The company continued adding locations, reached 100 coffee shops in December 2015, and had around 200 European coffeehouses by 2018. Most of its German stores were operated through franchising. Coffee Fellows has used a broad location strategy rather than relying only on traditional high-street cafés. Its network has included sites in shopping centres, transport-related settings, and other high-footfall locations. The brand's offer centres on prepared coffee beverages, bakery items, sandwiches or other light meals, and an American-influenced casual café atmosphere. In 2018, the company also opened a hotel in Dortmund, followed later by additional hotels in Trier and Munich, extending the brand beyond coffee retail into hospitality. International expansion developed in stages. The company operated across several European markets and the Middle East, and in 2019 it entered Asia with three branches in Mongolia. The chain also had a presence in the United States, with its American stores concentrated in the Houston, Texas area. Publicly referenced network figures vary by date and counting method: the company was reported to have approximately 209 German stores in 2018 and more than 240 locations across Europe and Asia, while a July 2021 location count listed 239 stores across the markets then covered by the network. Coffee Fellows remains a private brand and does not have a publicly traded ticker. A significant corporate event occurred in Belgium when Coffee Fellows filed for bankruptcy on 8 January 2025. The available reference material does not establish that this filing ended the wider Coffee Fellows network, so the brand's overall current operating status is recorded as active but requires monitoring for market-specific restructuring or closures.
History
Coffee Fellows originated in Munich in 1999 after Kathrin Tewes returned from experiences in London and North America, where coffeehouse concepts were already widespread. She established the brand around the idea of creating a comfortable and welcoming environment in Germany. The first shop opened on Leopoldstraße in Munich. A second location in Düsseldorf was comparatively unsuccessful, but a later Munich branch on Schützenstraße performed better and became the company's first franchise outlet. In 2000, Stefan Tewes joined the business after leaving Roland Berger, where he had worked as a consultant. He became Kathrin Tewes's co-manager. The couple developed the chain through a mixture of company development and franchising, gradually extending the format beyond its original Munich base. By 2007, Coffee Fellows had ten German branches. At the end of 2010, it operated 36 shops, most of them in southern Germany, and was planning a stronger presence in the north. A major expansion step came in 2011, when Coffee Fellows took over 25 branches of Coffeeshop Company. Many of those outlets were in shopping centres in northern and eastern Germany. The transaction helped Coffee Fellows move into the top tier of German coffeehouse chains. The company was also recognized in 2009 with a Coffee Shop Award for the continued improvement and development of its concept and business management. Growth continued during the middle of the 2010s. Coffee Fellows added ten stores in 2015 and opened its 100th coffee shop in December of that year. At that point it was described as Germany's third-largest coffeehouse chain, behind McCafé and Starbucks. By 2018, the network had reached approximately 200 coffeehouses in Europe. A contemporary account described about 209 stores in Germany, most operated as franchises, and more than 240 stores across Europe and Asia. The business also diversified into hospitality by opening a hotel in Dortmund in 2018, followed later by locations in Trier and Munich. The brand's international network included Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, several Middle Eastern markets, Mongolia, and the United States. In 2019, Coffee Fellows entered Asia with three Mongolian branches. Its United States locations were concentrated around Houston, Texas. A July 2021 count listed 239 stores across the countries then included in the network, although store totals can change as franchise agreements, openings, and closures occur. Coffee Fellows has remained privately held. The most significant adverse corporate development identified in the reference material is a Belgian bankruptcy filing dated 8 January 2025. The filing is specific to Belgium in the available account and does not by itself establish the cessation of the broader Coffee Fellows brand. Accordingly, the wider brand is treated as active, while the Belgian operation and any resulting network changes require further verification.
- 2025
Belgian bankruptcy filing
[1]Coffee Fellows files for bankruptcy in Belgium on 8 January 2025.
- 2019
Entry into Asia through Mongolia
[1]Coffee Fellows opens three branches in Mongolia, marking its first entry into the Asian market.
- 2018
Network reaches about 200 European coffeehouses
[1]The chain reaches approximately 200 coffeehouses in Europe and opens its first hotel in Dortmund.
- 2015
100th coffee shop opens
[1]Coffee Fellows opens its 100th coffee shop in December.
- 2011
Coffeeshop Company branch acquisition
[1]Coffee Fellows takes over 25 Coffeeshop Company branches, primarily in northern and eastern German shopping centres.
- 2009
Coffee Shop Award recognition
[1]The company receives an award recognizing continuing improvements to its concept and business management.
- 2007
Network reaches ten German branches
[1]Coffee Fellows grows to ten branches in Germany.
- 2000
Stefan Tewes joins the company
[1]Stefan Tewes leaves Roland Berger and joins Kathrin Tewes in managing Coffee Fellows.
- 1999
First Coffee Fellows shop opens in Munich
[1]Kathrin Tewes opens the first Coffee Fellows location on Leopoldstraße in Munich, Germany.
Products and positioning
A mid-market, American-influenced coffeehouse chain combining coffee, bakery products, light meals, and a relaxed café environment, with a strong franchising and high-footfall-location model.
Beverages · 1999
Coffee beverages
Coffee is the central product category of Coffee Fellows. The chain's format is built around prepared coffee and espresso-based drinks served in a casual coffeehouse setting. The available reference material identifies coffee beverages as a core part of the offer but does not provide a complete product catalogue or detailed recipe information.
Food · 1999
Baked goods
Baked goods and pastries complement the beverage range and support the brand's café positioning. They are sold as refreshments and accompanying food in Coffee Fellows locations. Specific product names, ingredients, and standardized menus are not established by the supplied reference material.
Food · 1999
Light meals
Coffee Fellows also offers light meals, including café-style food intended for customers seeking more than a beverage or pastry. The reference describes this category broadly and does not document a definitive menu, so individual items are not specified here.
Hospitality · 2018
Coffee Fellows hotels
The company extended its brand into hospitality with a hotel in Dortmund in 2018 and later locations in Trier and Munich. These properties represent a diversification from coffeehouse retail into accommodation, although the supplied sources do not identify a separate hotel brand architecture or detailed service proposition.
Brand decisions
2025
Belgian bankruptcy filingOtherBackground
The Belgian Coffee Fellows operation entered insolvency proceedings amid the brand's wider international network.
Action taken
Coffee Fellows filed for bankruptcy in Belgium on 8 January 2025.
Aftermath
The available reference does not state whether the filing affected the wider group, franchise network, or stores in other countries.
2019
Enter the Asian market through MongoliaStrategyBackground
Coffee Fellows pursued international expansion beyond its European and Middle Eastern markets.
Action taken
The chain opened three branches in Mongolia.
Aftermath
Mongolia became the company's first identified Asian market. Subsequent performance and store development are not detailed in the supplied sources.
2018
Diversify into hotelsStrategyBackground
After expanding its coffeehouse network, Coffee Fellows broadened its hospitality activities.
Action taken
The company opened a hotel in Dortmund and later added hotels in Trier and Munich.
Aftermath
The move extended the brand beyond cafés, although the available sources do not provide operating or financial results for the hotel business.
2011
Acquire 25 Coffeeshop Company branchesM&ABackground
Coffee Fellows had been concentrated largely in southern Germany and sought to expand its presence in northern and eastern parts of the country.
Action taken
The company took over 25 Coffeeshop Company branches, many located in shopping centres.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded the domestic network and helped position Coffee Fellows among Germany's leading coffeehouse chains.
Sources2 sources
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