Caffeine
Caffeine is a Lithuanian coffeehouse chain and one of the largest branded café networks in the Baltic states.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Caffeine is a Lithuanian coffeehouse chain headquartered in Vilnius. The business began in 2007 under the name Coffee Inn, when four Lithuanian entrepreneurs opened a café in Vilnius Old Town. It developed around a compact, urban takeaway model centered on espresso-based drinks, bright orange visual branding, and locations in high-footfall areas. The format helped popularize quick-service coffee and laptop-friendly café culture in Lithuanian cities, particularly Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda. The chain expanded rapidly during its first decade. BaltCap acquired a 45.26 percent stake in 2012 and increased its holding to 59.07 percent in 2014, giving the venture-capital firm a controlling interest. By the middle of the 2010s, the business had become the largest branded coffee chain in the Baltic region, with approximately 60 cafés. Its network was concentrated in Lithuania but also extended into neighboring Baltic markets and selected Northern European locations. A naming change followed a trademark dispute in 2017. The company adopted the name Caffeine Roasters after operating as Coffee Inn. In October 2018, Reitan Convenience, part of Reitan AS, acquired the chain. The founding management team remained involved after the transaction, while the brand was subsequently shortened to Caffeine and incorporated into Reitan's broader convenience-store and food-service activities. Under the new ownership, the concept expanded outside the Baltics, including cafés in Oslo and Copenhagen. Caffeine's offer includes espresso drinks, brewed and filter coffee, cold brew, tea, hot chocolate, seasonal beverages, pastries, and light food. Cafés also sell packaged coffee beans, including organic blends. The chain uses a mixture of company-operated and franchised locations, with sites commonly placed in city centers, shopping malls, business districts, and transport hubs. Digital activity includes a loyalty application offering discounts and pre-ordering functions. Sustainability has become a visible part of the brand's operating proposition. In 2022, all Baltic outlets switched to certified organic coffee beans, a change described as a regional first among coffee chains. The company has also promoted reusable-cup incentives and opened or supported locations associated with electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. By 2025, Caffeine operated more than 100 cafés in Lithuania, including a drive-through and electric-vehicle charging hub in Varėna. It also had 27 cafés in Latvia and 12 in Estonia. The brand remains positioned as an accessible, contemporary coffee chain combining takeaway convenience, urban café use, and regional scale.
History
Caffeine traces its origins to 2007, when four Lithuanian entrepreneurs opened the first Coffee Inn café in Vilnius Old Town. The initial concept focused on convenient espresso drinks in compact urban locations. Its bright orange identity and emphasis on takeaway service differentiated it from more traditional sit-down cafés and supported rapid expansion in Lithuania. The business attracted institutional investment as it grew. In 2012, BaltCap acquired 45.26 percent of the company. Two years later, the investor increased its interest to 59.07 percent, taking a controlling position. During the mid-2010s, Coffee Inn became the largest branded coffee chain in the Baltic states, with roughly 60 cafés. The network developed around city centers, shopping malls, business areas, and transport-oriented sites, while the brand became associated with the growth of takeaway coffee and modern café culture in Lithuania. In 2017, the company changed its trading identity to Caffeine Roasters after a trademark dispute concerning the Coffee Inn name and an Estonian chain with a similar name. The rebranding retained the coffee-focused proposition while giving the business a name it could use across its regional markets. A major ownership transition occurred in October 2018, when Reitan Convenience, part of the Norwegian Reitan AS group, acquired the chain. The original founding team continued in management after the acquisition. The brand was later simplified to Caffeine and incorporated into Reitan's wider convenience and food-service platform. This ownership structure provided a base for further geographical development, including cafés in Oslo and Copenhagen, in addition to the established Baltic network. Caffeine's operating model combines company-owned cafés with some franchised sites. Its menu covers espresso-based drinks, filter coffee, cold brew, tea, hot chocolate, seasonal products, pastries, and light food. Packaged beans are also sold through cafés and online channels where available. A loyalty application supports discounts and pre-ordering, reinforcing the brand's convenience-oriented proposition. The chain has increasingly linked its identity to sustainability and responsible sourcing. In 2022, every Baltic outlet moved to certified organic coffee beans. The company has also used reusable-cup incentives and participated in locations connected to electric-vehicle charging facilities, including a drive-through and charging hub in Varėna. By 2025, Caffeine had more than 100 cafés in Lithuania, along with 27 in Latvia and 12 in Estonia. Its broader presence also included Norway and Denmark. The business therefore combines a strong Lithuanian base with a multinational regional footprint, while continuing to operate as a recognizable Baltic coffeehouse brand within Reitan's convenience portfolio.
- 2025
Lithuanian network exceeds 100 cafés
[1]Caffeine operated more than 100 cafés in Lithuania and reported additional locations in Latvia and Estonia, including a Varėna drive-through and charging hub.
- 2022
Baltic cafés adopt certified organic beans
[1]All Baltic outlets switched to certified organic coffee beans.
- 2018
Reitan Convenience acquires the chain
[1]Reitan Convenience acquired the business and subsequently integrated the shortened Caffeine brand into its convenience-oriented group structure.
- 2017
The chain becomes Caffeine Roasters
[1]The business adopted the Caffeine Roasters name following a trademark dispute involving the Coffee Inn name.
- 2014
BaltCap becomes controlling shareholder
[1]BaltCap increased its interest to 59.07 percent.
- 2012
BaltCap takes a minority stake
[1]BaltCap acquired 45.26 percent of the company.
- 2007
First Coffee Inn café opens
[1]Four Lithuanian entrepreneurs opened the first Coffee Inn café in Vilnius Old Town, establishing the business that later became Caffeine.
Products and positioning
An accessible, urban, takeaway-oriented coffeehouse chain combining fast espresso service with café seating, digital loyalty tools, packaged coffee, and increasingly visible sustainability initiatives.
Coffee beverages · 2007
Espresso-based beverages
The core café range consists of espresso and milk-based espresso drinks designed for fast service and takeaway consumption. This category has historically been central to the chain's urban convenience proposition.
Brewed coffee
Filter coffee and cold brew
Caffeine also serves brewed formats, including filter coffee and cold brew, broadening the offer beyond traditional espresso drinks and supporting different consumption occasions.
Non-coffee beverages
Tea, hot chocolate, and seasonal beverages
The menu includes tea, hot chocolate, and rotating seasonal drinks. These products provide alternatives for customers who do not choose coffee and allow the chain to refresh its offer during different parts of the year.
Café food
Pastries and light food
Cafés sell pastries and light food intended to accompany beverages or provide a quick meal. The food range complements the chain's placement in business districts, shopping centers, and transport hubs.
Retail coffee
Packaged coffee beans
The brand sells packaged coffee beans, including organic blends, through its café network and online channels where available. This extends the brand from out-of-home consumption into home preparation.
Brand decisions
2022
Exclusive certified-organic coffee policy in the BalticsStrategyBackground
Caffeine sought to make responsible sourcing a more prominent part of its operating proposition.
Action taken
All Baltic outlets switched to serving certified organic coffee beans.
Aftermath
The chain presented the move as a regional first and continued to associate its sustainability positioning with reusable-cup incentives and electric-vehicle charging locations.
2018
Reitan Convenience acquisitionM&ABackground
After BaltCap had developed a controlling position, the coffeehouse chain became the subject of a wider ownership transition.
Action taken
Reitan Convenience acquired the chain and incorporated it into the Reitan AS group.
Aftermath
The founding team remained in management, the brand was shortened to Caffeine, and the concept expanded into Norway and Denmark.
2017
Rename the chain Caffeine RoastersStrategyBackground
The company faced a trademark dispute involving the Coffee Inn name and an Estonian chain with a similar name.
Action taken
The business adopted the Caffeine Roasters identity.
Aftermath
The chain later shortened the name to Caffeine after its acquisition by Reitan Convenience.
Recent events
Reported
Caffeine partners with Drake and URL to stream rap battles[2]
Streaming app Caffeine entered an exclusive partnership with Drake to stream URL rap battles live for free; the article reports that this was the first time URL battles would be streamed live for free.
Reported
Drake and URL partner with Caffeine to stream rap battles[3]
Drake and the Ultimate Rap League (URL) partnered with streaming company Caffeine to stream rap battles on the platform. The article reports the first show was scheduled for the following night.
Reported
Drake signs multiyear partnership with Caffeine[4]
Drake signed a multiyear agreement with live-streaming platform Caffeine. As part of the arrangement, he will have a channel on the platform and bring the Ultimate Rap League to Caffeine.
Sources4 sources
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