LaboCafe

LaboCafe (ラボカフェ, rendered as "LABO CAFE") is a Japanese direct-to-consumer specialty coffee brand built on the concept of "lab × coffee." It is operated by Oaks Co., Ltd. (株式会社オークス), the company behind Coffee Mame Kenkyujo (コーヒー豆研究所), which describes itself as one of Japan's largest coffee information web media outlets. The brand sells roasted coffee beans — single-origin lots, original blends, and decaffeinated coffee — primarily through its own online store, with a subscription service as a core offering. The brand's positioning rests on the editorial experience of its parent media. According to its own account, Coffee Mame Kenkyujo has sold more than 2,000 items and reviewed more than 3,000 products, and LaboCafe draws on that accumulated tasting and evaluation experience to select and blend beans. Products are planned by Oaks Co., Ltd., while roasting and manufacturing are handled by partner roasting facilities; beans are roasted to order and, as a rule, shipped within about one week of the order. LaboCafe's catalog spans a wide range of origins — including Ethiopia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Guatemala, Tanzania, Peru, Kenya and Honduras — alongside roast-level categories (light, medium, medium-deep and deep roast), original blends such as the flagship LaboCafe Blend and Bitter Blend, and a decaffeinated line produced with a special caffeine-removal process. The brand also runs a subscription (定期便) with selectable delivery intervals, bean weights and a 12-month continuous plan, plus a discounted trial set aimed at first-time buyers. Pricing is positioned as accessible for specialty coffee: the company states that it sells directly through its own e-commerce channel to cut out intermediary costs and optimizes advertising and operating expenses to keep prices down. The online store runs on Shopify, and the operation is led by manager Genta Kashiwakura (柏倉元太) from an office in Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo. LaboCafe is a relatively young, media-native coffee brand rather than a traditional roaster or café chain, and its identity is closely tied to the content and trust of Coffee Mame Kenkyujo.

LaboCafe is a coffee brand created within the orbit of Coffee Mame Kenkyujo (コーヒー豆研究所), a Japanese coffee information web media outlet operated by Oaks Co., Ltd. (株式会社オークス). The brand's name and concept — "lab × coffee" — reflect its origin in a media operation that evaluates and reviews coffee rather than in a traditional roasting house or café chain. According to the brand's own account, Coffee Mame Kenkyujo has sold more than 2,000 items and examined more than 3,000 products. LaboCafe was built on that accumulated experience: the team selected beans from among the coffees it had encountered and developed original blends, aiming to offer coffees that could not be bought elsewhere. Product planning is carried out by Oaks Co., Ltd., while roasting and manufacturing are entrusted to partner roasting facilities; the company works with those partners on bean selection, roast level and blend ratios, repeating tastings and adjustments to reach the intended flavor. From the outset the brand has been sold primarily through its own e-commerce store, which runs on Shopify. This direct-to-consumer model is presented as a way to keep prices accessible: by selling directly and optimizing advertising and operating costs, the company says it can maintain quality while offering approachable prices. Beans are roasted to order and, as a rule, shipped within about one week of purchase, with roast dates managed so customers can also enjoy how the flavor changes with the condition of the beans. LaboCafe's catalog has grown to cover a broad range of origins — the brand states it sells more than 30 kinds of coffee beans by origin alone — including Ethiopia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Guatemala, Tanzania, Peru, Kenya and Honduras. It organizes its range by origin, by roast level (light, medium, medium-deep, deep), and by type (single origin, blend, decaf). Among its best-known items are the LaboCafe Blend, described as a balanced everyday coffee with sweetness, body and a clean finish, and Guatemala SHB from the La Bolsa farm in the Huehuetenango region. A central part of the business is the subscription service (定期便). It offers a special blend plus a monthly rotating coffee whose flavor concept changes month by month, with selectable bean weights (100g, 150g, 300g) and delivery intervals (monthly, every 15 days, every two months), as well as a 12-month continuous plan. The company also markets a discounted trial set (100g × 2 varieties) aimed at first-time customers, priced below the regular two-bag price. The operation is led by operating manager Genta Kashiwakura from an office in Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo. LaboCafe remains a young, media-native brand whose identity is closely tied to the editorial reputation of Coffee Mame Kenkyujo; it does not operate a café chain and sells chiefly online within Japan.

• Coffee Mame Kenkyujo, the media outlet behind LaboCafe, reports having sold more than 2,000 items and reviewed more than 3,000 products, experience on which the brand is built.

• LaboCafe launches as a direct-to-consumer specialty coffee brand under the concept of "lab × coffee," selling through its own Shopify-based online store.

• The brand introduces a subscription service offering a special blend plus a monthly rotating coffee, with selectable weights and delivery intervals.

• A discounted trial set (100g × 2 varieties) is offered for first-time customers at roughly 35% off the regular two-bag price.

Media-native, direct-to-consumer specialty coffee brand emphasizing freshly roasted beans, original blending based on extensive tasting experience, and accessible pricing through own-channel sales.

• LaboCafe Blend

  The brand's signature blend, described as balanced with sweetness, body and a clean finish, suitable for everyday drinking.

• Guatemala SHB

  Single-origin coffee from the La Bolsa farm in the Huehuetenango region, noted for soft acidity, body and a clean finish.

• Bitter Blend

  A blend oriented toward a firm, bitter flavor profile.

• Fruity Blend

  A blend oriented toward fruity, bright flavor characteristics.

• Indonesia Mandheling Lintong

  Single-origin Indonesian coffee with deep body and gentle acidity, evoking spice and dark chocolate.

• Indonesia Gayo Mountain

  Single-origin Indonesian coffee from the Gayo highlands.

• Brazil Full Ripe

  Brazilian single-origin coffee with moderate bitterness, fresh acidity and nutty sweetness.

• Decaffeinated coffee

  Coffee with caffeine removed through a special process while preserving flavor.

• LaboCafe Subscription

  Subscription delivering a special blend plus a monthly rotating coffee, with selectable weights and intervals.

• Trial Set (100g × 2 varieties)

  First-time buyer set containing LaboCafe Blend and Guatemala SHB, offered at a discount.

1. 1ラボカフェ オンラインストア | コーヒー豆研究所coffee-labo.co.jp
2. 2ラボカフェについて | コーヒー豆研究所coffee-labo.co.jp
3. 3ラボカフェ 人気お試しセット 100g×2種類 | コーヒー豆研究所coffee-labo.co.jp
4. 4ラボカフェ コーヒーの定期便・サブスク | コーヒー豆研究所coffee-labo.co.jp
5. 5Wikidata Q134562312wikidata.org