There’s no doubt that we’re a nation of coffee-lovers. Coffee is the second most consumed beverage in America, after water — and we drink twice as much of it as we do of tea. According to the National Coffee Association, coffee consumption in this country is now at an all-time high; some 66% of us reported drinking it every day in 2022 — some studies put the number as high as 74% — and there’s no reason to think that our intake has come down. Collectively, according to Food Beverage Insider, what we sip adds up to about 517 million cups a day. (All that caffeine might actually be doing us some good. Here are 18 reasons to drink coffee for your health.)
There are almost 40,000 coffee shops around the country, and we might be forgiven for thinking that 39,999 of those are Starbucks. (The actual number is around 15,500.) Despite that chain’s seeming ubiquity, though, there are numerous other chains widely distributed around America, including, at No. 2, Dunkin’ , as well as smaller operations like Tim Hortons, Dutch Bros., Peet’s, and Caribou.
The coffee scene in this country has evolved in ways that are often described in terms of waves. First wave coffee was what coffee used to be — just a cup of java of indeterminate origin, quaffed at diners or after dinner in restaurants or brewed at home out of a vacuum-packed can, probably in a device known as a percolator. The second wave hit our shores with the arrival of the pioneering Peet’s, which started selling single-origin beans in a shop around the corner from Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA. It also developed custom blends and popularized espresso and its offshoots, like cappuccino and latte. Peet’s made Starbucks possible.
Third-wave coffee shops first appeared in the early 2000s — nobody knows exactly what the first one in the country was, and anyway the definition can be disputed — but by the 2010s, both one-of-a-kind third-wave places and growing chains were found across the land. These places typically offer a variety of brewing options, including espresso, cold brew, and pour-over, and are typically guided by concerns about fair trade practices and sustainability. They also tend to source beans not just from specific regions but even from individual estates, often working directly with growers. (Here’s a look at the best independent coffee shop in every state.)
To compile a list of 10 up-and-coming coffee chains you should know, 24/7 reviewed “Coffee is growing — and so are thee 10 emerging chains,” appearing Nation’s Restaurant News, a top food-service industry publication.
NRN points out that drive-thru coffee purveyors are on the rise, “the demand for quality-sourced coffee served in a cozy setting hasn’t gone away.” These 10 operations are salient proof of that.
Here are 10 up-and-coming coffee chains you should know.
Black Rock Coffee Bar
A Black Rock Coffee Bar location.
- Headquarters: Portland, OR
- Number of locations: 127
Originating in Beaerton, OR, Black Rock now has units in seven states in the West and Pacific Northwest, and reportedly plans to open more than 100 more in various locations by 2026.
Blue Bottle Coffee
Coffee-making set-ups at Blue Bottle Coffee.
- Headquarters: Oakland, CA
- Number of locations: 52 (U.S. only)
This chain, founded in 2002 as a cart in Oakland’s Terminal District, takes its name from Der Hof zur Blauen Flasche, or The House Under the Blue Bottle, one of Europe’s first coffeehouses, opened in Vienna in 1683. The food and beverage giant Nestlé S.A. acquired a majority interest in the company in 2017. Blue Bottle also has numerous locations in Japan, China, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
Bluestone Lane
Inside the Bluestone Lane location in Brooklyn's DUMBO.
- Headquarters: New York, NY
- Number of locations: 64
Inspired by the celebrated coffee culture of Melbourne, Australia, Bluestone has a roasting facility in New York, sells a range of coffees (including Nespresso-compatible pods), and even brands a line of sportswear and accessories. Needless to say, considering the Aussie connection, that Down Under coffee specialty the flat white is done particularly well here.
Caffè Nero
A Caffè Nero location in Boston.
- Headquarters: London, England
- Number of locations: 34 (U.S. only)
A familiar sight in its native London, Caffè Nero, established in 1997, has only recently begun appearing in the U.S. There are more than 1,000 locations worldwide, however, in Europe and the Middle East as well as the U.K.
Foxtail Coffee Co.
The Foxtail location in Melbourne, FL.
- Headquarters: Winter Park, FL
- Number of locations: 56
Foxtail is a relative newcomer in the boutique coffee game, starting up only in 2016, in a community near Orlando. So far, its units are only in Florida and Georgia, with Nevada, Texas, Indiana, and North and South Carolina on the drawing board.
Go Get Em Tiger Coffee
Coffee with a view of Santa Monica's Montana Avenue at Go Get Em Tiger.
- Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA
- Number of locations: 8
Once described as “L.A.’s trendiest coffee shop,” GGET — as the chain styles itself — is, in the words of NRN, “known for its funky and bright furniture and welcoming attitude.”
Gregorys Coffee
A Gregorys interior in New York City, showcasing the company motto.
- Headquarters: New York, NY
- Number of locations: 38
This burgeoning chain’s logo, a slightly unruly head of hair above a two coffee cups subbing for a pair of glasses, is modeled after Gregorys founder Gregory Zamfotis. The chain’s specialty is coffee brewed with an AeroPress, a sort of high-tech variation on the French press, developed by a retired Stanford engineering professor.
La Colombe
A La Colombe location in Washington, D.C.
- Headquarters: Philadelphia, PA
- Number of locations: 32
Coffee from this noted chain’s roastery is widely served in restaurants and sold in retail outlets across the nation. La Colombe is now mostly owned by the Chobani yogurt company, with one-third interest belonging to Keurig Dr. Pepper.
Maman
Some of the food offered at a Maman location in New York City.
- Headquarters: New York, NY
- Number of locations: 28
Originally a single coffee shop in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, Maman now has locations all over the city, as well as in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Toronto, and Montreal. The private equity firm TriSpan, which also has an interest in New York’s Rosa Mexicano and Yardbird restaurant chains, among other properties, now owns 50% of Maman.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters
A Stumptown location in Portland, OR.
- Headquarters: Portland, OR
- Number of locations: 9
Founded in Portland in 1999, Stumptown was an early promoter of cold brew coffee, and had considerable success packaging its cold brew in nitro cans. The company is now owned by the craft-coffee pioneer Peet’s, which in turn is part of the JAB Holding Company, which also has Caribou Coffee Company.