- Companies
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters
La Colombe Coffee Roasters Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors
La Colombe Coffee Roasters was acquired by Chobani for $900M in December 2023, a 2.7x multiple on $333M of revenue.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters revenue at acquisition
$333M
Last twelve months · Dec 2023
La Colombe Coffee Roasters revenue multiple at acquisition
2.7x
EV/Revenue · Dec 2023
Cumulative funding La Colombe Coffee Roasters raised
$329M
across 2 funding rounds
About La Colombe Coffee Roasters
La Colombe Coffee Roasters is a Philadelphia-headquartered company roasting arabica beans for medium and dark roasts sold as whole beans, ground coffee, and ready-to-drink draft lattes. It supplies cafes, offices, and grocery chains with single-origin varieties from Ethiopia and Colombia. The brand operates cafes in major U.S. cities and distributes nationally.
Founded
1994
HQ
Website
Status
Acquired
Customer focus
B2B & B2C
Revenue model
Product sales
Revenue
$300M (Jul 2023)
Valuation
$900M (Jul 2023)
La Colombe Coffee Roasters Acquisition
La Colombe Coffee Roasters was acquired by Chobani for $900M on 15 December 2023.
The acquisition price implies a 2.7x revenue multiple on $333M of revenue.
Before the acquisition La Colombe Coffee Roasters had raised $329M across 2 funding rounds.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters, a Philadelphia-based coffee company founded by Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti, roasts and sells premium coffee, operates 32 cafes across markets including Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, and Washington, D.C., and produces ready-to-drink (RTD) products like canned draft lattes and cold brews, which have grown over 3x in the last five years and hold more than 1% of the $5 billion U.S. RTD coffee market within 18 months of launch. Chobani, a New York-based next-generation food and beverage company originally known for Greek yogurt, has expanded into oatmilk, cold-brew coffee, probiotic beverages, and coffee creamers, achieving double-digit volume-led sales growth and margin expansion amid industry challenges. The acquisition, announced December 15, 2023, builds on Chobani founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya's prior $60 million majority investment in 2015 and recent collaborations, positioning Chobani to diversify further by leveraging La Colombe's RTD craftmanship to reach new consumers alongside yogurt pairings and compete against Costa Coffee and Starbucks RTD lines. Chobani acquired La Colombe for $900 million in cash, financed via a $550 million term loan, cash on hand, and exchange of Keurig Dr Pepper's 33% minority stake—obtained earlier in 2023 for $300 million with a distribution agreement that remains in place—for Chobani equity. La Colombe will operate as an independent brand under its existing management, benefiting from Chobani's retail execution, marketing, and cold chain capabilities for multi-serve growth, plus KDP's distribution for single-serve expansion into convenience retail and underdeveloped channels. The deal, an insider transaction given Ulukaya's history, supports Chobani's ambition to become a modern food company disrupting with nutritious options, potentially reviving paused IPO plans while accelerating La Colombe's scale against established competitors.
| Acquirer | Date | Type | Price | EV/Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Dec 2023 | PE buyout | $900M | 2.7x |
La Colombe Coffee Roasters Valuation
La Colombe Coffee Roasters is currently valued at $900M, based on its strategic investment round in July 2023.
The $300M round was led by Keurig Dr Pepper.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters' valuation has grown 13x from $67M at its undisclosed-stage round in September 2014 to $900M in July 2023, across 2 priced rounds.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters valuation by funding round
Revenue multiple| Date | Stage | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2023 | Strategic investment | $900M | 3.0x |
| Sep 2014 | Undisclosed stage | $67M | - |
La Colombe Coffee Roasters Revenue
La Colombe Coffee Roasters' latest recorded revenue is $300M, as of its strategic investment round in July 2023. At a $900M valuation, that implies a 3.0x revenue multiple.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters revenue by funding round
| Date | Revenue * | Valuation | Revenue Multiple | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2023 | $300M | $900M | 3.0x | Strategic investment |
* Revenue (or ARR) figures are the values recorded alongside each funding round. Typically run-rate revenue at the time of the deal, or a reported LTM (last 12 months) revenue.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters Funding History
La Colombe Coffee Roasters has raised a total of $329M across 2 funding rounds.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters' first fundraising round was a $29M undisclosed-stage round in September 2014. The most recent completed round was a $300M strategic investment round in July 2023.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Valuation | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2023 | Strategic investment | Keurig Dr Pepper (lead) | $300M | $900M | La Colombe Coffee Roasters, founded in 1994 and based in Philadelphia, is a high-growth super premium coffee company offering products across retail, branded cafes, foodservice, and direct-to-consumer channels. It is vertically integrated, controlling bean sourcing, roasting, and production of ready-to-drink (RTD) coffees like canned draft lattes. On July 20, 2023, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) invested $300 million for a 33% stake, valuing the company at approximately $900 million, with proceeds used to accelerate growth and pay off debt. This made KDP the second-largest investor behind majority owner and Chairman Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani. The deal included a long-term partnership where KDP would distribute La Colombe's shelf-stable RTD coffees through its direct store network starting late 2023 and manufacture/sell La Colombe-branded K-Cup pods in the US and Canada from 2024. KDP stated the investment represented a 3.0x multiple of La Colombe's estimated 2024 consolidated net sales, implying ~$300 million in projected revenue. The partnership aimed to expand La Colombe's availability in mainstream retail and high-growth RTD/super premium coffee segments. La Colombe had pursued a $1 billion valuation since 2018 but achieved ~$900 million here. In December 2023, KDP sold its stake to Chobani in exchange for equity, maintaining the $900 million valuation. La Colombe's RTD products had notable traction, capturing 1% of US grocery RTD coffee sales in 2017 shortly after launch. |
| Sep 2014 | Undisclosed stage | Goode Partners (lead) | $29M | $67M | La Colombe Coffee Roasters, founded in 1994 by Todd Carmichael and JP Iberti, is a Philadelphia-based coffee roaster and café operator known for direct-trade, earth-conscious blends and single-origin coffees, operating 8 cafés in Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. at the time of the investment. The company secured approximately $28.5 million from Goode Partners in a strategic investment announced around September 1, 2014 (deal signed August 31, 2014), valuing the company at $66.5 million post-money, with funds earmarked for expanding to 100 cafés coast-to-coast over five years, increasing roasting capacity, building out the corporate team, and entering new markets like Boston, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Goode Partners, a New York-based private equity firm focused on consumer and retail brands, led the round as the sole investor mentioned, providing operational expertise, strategic planning, real estate selection for café rollouts, and support for grocery channel entry, starting with Target in Q1 2015. La Colombe leveraged the partnership to accelerate growth after two decades of organic expansion, including recent café openings and product launches like the $359 'The Dragon' coffee device. Goode exited its controlling interest in August 2015 to Hamdi Ulukaya (Chobani founder) after just one year, achieving a 2.0x multiple of capital and approximately 188% IRR, with the $66.5 million valuation referenced in context of that transaction. Subsequent developments included a 2023 $300 million investment from Keurig Dr Pepper for 33% stake at $1 billion valuation (3.0x 2024 estimated net sales) and full acquisition by Chobani for $900 million in December 2023. |
Who has invested in La Colombe Coffee Roasters?
2 investors have backed La Colombe Coffee Roasters across its funding rounds, including Keurig Dr Pepper and Goode Partners.
Lead investors include Keurig Dr Pepper and Goode Partners.
La Colombe Coffee Roasters Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all 2 La Colombe Coffee Roasters investors. Start Free Trial | ||||
Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
Sign up to see data on 350K+ funding rounds and disclosed revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples, from seed, through growth stage, to pre-IPO.
Start Free TrialLa Colombe Coffee Roasters Competitors
La Colombe Coffee Roasters competitors include listed companies like NewPrinces and Magalu, and private ones like Hutouju, Snack Is Busy, Believer Meats and Familia.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private | - | - | $550M | - | ||
| Private | - | - | $1.5B | - | ||
| Private | - | - | $900M | - | ||
| Private | - | - | $900M | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $3.4B | $660M | $901M | 0.0x | ||
| Publicly listed | $7.5B | $402M | $896M | 0.3x |
La Colombe Coffee Roasters Public Comps
La Colombe Coffee Roasters is no longer listed, but its public comps include NewPrinces, Magalu, AG Barr, Simply Good Foods, JINS Holdings, Leche Gloria, Nick Scali, Douglas, Pet Valu and Savencia Fromage & Dairy.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $3.4B | $660M | 0.1x | 0.0x | 0.4x | 0.6x | |||
| $7.5B | $402M | 0.3x | 0.3x | 5.5x | 3.9x | |||
| $587M | $98M | 1.5x | 1.4x | 8.8x | 7.7x | |||
| $1.5B | $185M | 0.8x | 0.9x | 6.5x | 5.4x | |||
| $625M | $95M | 1.4x | 1.2x | 9.2x | 7.9x | |||
| $1.4B | $131M | 0.7x | - | 6.9x | - | |||
| $368M | $129M | 2.8x | 2.8x | 8.1x | 8.2x | |||
| $5.3B | $849M | 0.6x | 0.6x | 3.8x | 4.1x | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all La Colombe Coffee Roasters competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about La Colombe Coffee Roasters
| When was La Colombe Coffee Roasters founded? | La Colombe Coffee Roasters was founded in 1994. |
| Where is La Colombe Coffee Roasters headquartered? | La Colombe Coffee Roasters is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, United States. |
| Is La Colombe Coffee Roasters publicly listed? | No, La Colombe Coffee Roasters was acquired by Chobani in December 2023. |
| Who acquired La Colombe Coffee Roasters? | La Colombe Coffee Roasters was acquired by Chobani in December 2023. |
| How much was La Colombe Coffee Roasters acquired for? | La Colombe Coffee Roasters was acquired for $900M in December 2023, a 2.7x revenue multiple. |
| What is La Colombe Coffee Roasters' valuation? | La Colombe Coffee Roasters was last valued at $900M in its strategic investment round in July 2023. |
| How much funding has La Colombe Coffee Roasters raised? | La Colombe Coffee Roasters has raised $329M across 2 funding rounds. |
| What was La Colombe Coffee Roasters' last funding round? | La Colombe Coffee Roasters' last funding round was a $300M strategic investment round in July 2023, led by Keurig Dr Pepper. |
| Who are La Colombe Coffee Roasters' investors? | La Colombe Coffee Roasters' investors include Goode Partners and Keurig Dr Pepper. |
| What is La Colombe Coffee Roasters' revenue? | La Colombe Coffee Roasters' latest recorded revenue is $300M (July 2023). |
| What is La Colombe Coffee Roasters' revenue multiple? | La Colombe Coffee Roasters' latest valuation implies a 3.0x revenue multiple ($900M valuation on $300M of revenue). |
| Which companies are comparable to La Colombe Coffee Roasters? | Companies comparable to La Colombe Coffee Roasters include Hutouju, Snack Is Busy, Believer Meats, Familia, NewPrinces and Magalu. |
See companies similar to La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Start Your
Free Trial Today
Try Multiples for free for 3 days. Got questions or need a demo? Schedule a call with us below.




