An Osnabrück success story: Coffee-Bike celebrates 15 years of mobile coffee enjoyment

For many, stopping at the Coffee-Bike at Osnabrück Zoo is a matter of course. But few are aware that behind the nostalgic cargo bike is an internationally active franchise company that started out in a garage in Bissendorf. In December, Coffee Bike GmbH celebrates its 15th anniversary. With around 250 Coffee Bikes, the company is one of the largest mobile café franchise concepts in Europe and has been inspiring people for more than a decade with the idea of mobile and self-sufficient coffee bars on three wheels and the dream of independence. 

The first Coffee-Bike – How it all began

The story of how Coffee-Bike was founded is a classic garage story, as we know it from Silicon Valley: While on vacation, the founding team of Tobias Zimmer and Jan Sander observed a man selling filter coffee from his bicycle rack. The inspiration was there, the courage and passion for the project awakened, and Coffee-Bike GmbH was born in December 2010. The first cargo bike converted into a coffee bike was handcrafted in their garage at home. Sales tests and operational experience in Osnabrück and Hanover quickly led to the decision in favor of a franchise concept.  The first franchise partner was signed in October 2011, and in the same year, the concept was awarded the DurchSTARTER prize for outstanding start-up ideas by the state of Lower Saxony.
 

From Osnabrück to the whole world with the coffee cargo bike

After the steadily growing team at the Osnabrück headquarters had acquired numerous franchise partners in Germany and established the mobile coffee bar in highly frequented locations throughout Germany, it ventured into the neighboring European countries of Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands. To ensure international success, Coffee-Bike GmbH founded a subsidiary in the United Kingdom and expanded the franchise system to include so-called master franchise partners. As sub-franchisees of Coffee-Bike GmbH, these are independent entrepreneurs who act as franchisors in their respective countries and are responsible for recruiting sub-franchisees to operate the coffee bikes. The first master franchise partner started exactly 10 years ago in Romania and is still successfully serving mobile coffee enjoyment today.

 

Coffee hub in Osnabrück – How the Coffee-Bike system works

Whether McDonald's or Jack Wolfskin – no matter which city customers want to buy their burgers or clothes in, the stores look the same and the quality standards are the same. The same applies to Coffee Bike. A 40-strong team led by managing director Mark Rüter supports franchise partners from the Osnabrück headquarters with know-how and expertise, advises them on bike utilization, provides them with advertising materials, and assists with bike maintenance and servicing. Mark Rüter took over the management of Coffee-Bike GmbH in 2019, while the company's founders wanted to take on new professional challenges.

Coffee-Bike GmbH has been part of the Windel Group since 2014. Since then, the company headquarters on Adolf-Köhne-Straße has also been home to its own bike factory, where the nostalgic cargo bikes are produced and further developed. At the Coffee-Bike Academy, new franchise partners receive intensive technical and barista training to ensure that the same quality standards are maintained on all Coffee-Bikes. The company's own organic coffee bean brand, Caferino, which Coffee-Bike launched in 2012 to ensure that people's favorite coffee tastes the same in every city, also contributes to this. In addition to classics such as espresso and cappuccino, Coffee-Bike regularly sets new trends with seasonal summer and winter specials.

Through the annual franchise partner day in Osnabrück, the company strengthens the cohesion between partners and employees at the system headquarters, as well as the exchange of ideas and, ultimately, identification with the Coffee-Bike brand. 

All this, plus the low initial investment and flexible deployment and revenue opportunities, continues to convince numerous aspiring entrepreneurs even after 15 years to fulfill their dream of owning their own mobile café with the Coffee-Bike.

Mobile coffee enjoyment: still possible even during the pandemic

While most restaurants had to temporarily close during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020/2021, Coffee-Bikes were able to continue selling coffee outdoors in compliance with hygiene regulations without any major interruptions. This was a major advantage for Coffee-Bike franchise partners, as they were able to continue generating essential revenue. The mobile concept opened up opportunities to succeed in sales locations where stationary restaurants and cafés reach their limits. 

Mobile, flexible, self-sufficient – a popular highlight at private parties and corporate events

Thanks to their mobility and self-sufficient operation, Coffee-Bikes have become popular highlights at private events such as birthdays and weddings, as well as at corporate events and trade fairs. Well-known companies such as Google, Telekom, and Bugatti present their products in conjunction with the high-quality coffee specialties from the Coffee-Bike. Many franchise partners appreciate the versatility of their mobile coffee bar and combine catering orders with fixed sales locations to increase their own sales.

A sustainable look into the future

The company is aware of its social responsibility. At a time when takeaway cups are littering city centers, the Osnabrück-based company is constantly working to reduce the waste that inevitably accumulates at its mobile coffee bar. In addition to disposable cups that are 100 percent biodegradable, Coffee-Bike GmbH also offers reusable alternatives. The company is the first German coffee franchise to establish its own deposit system on its bikes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Further measures to reduce (plastic) waste are already in the planning stage and are among the company's current and future focus areas.

With the sale of Caferino espresso beans, Coffee-Bike also supports the children's charity Terre des Hommes – strong children – fair world. A donation is made to the organization for every package sold.