Double Coffee

Double Coffee is a Latvian coffeehouse company and café-chain brand originating in Riga. Its first café opened on 26 September 2002 on Stabu Street, establishing the brand in Latvia at a time when branded café concepts were expanding in the Baltic region. During its founding year, Double Coffee received recognition as the best trader in Riga and the best Latvian trader, according to the brand's Wikipedia account. The chain expanded rapidly during its early years. Five additional cafés opened in 2003, and by the end of 2005 Double Coffee had 16 locations in Latvia. The business subsequently pursued regional expansion, opening branches in other Baltic and Eastern European markets, including Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. This expansion made Double Coffee more than a single-country café operator, although its Latvian base remained central to its identity. The brand also experimented with markets outside Europe. In June 2009, it opened its first non-European location in Beijing, China. The move represented an effort to extend a Baltic-origin café concept into a substantially larger and more distant market. The available reference material does not provide details about the Beijing site's later operating history or the commercial terms of the expansion. Double Coffee's international network later contracted. The Estonian part of the chain entered bankruptcy in 2009, while the Lithuanian business followed in 2011; the brand then withdrew from both markets. These events marked a reversal of the earlier Baltic expansion and illustrate the operational challenges of maintaining a multi-country café network. The reference material also records historical branches or operations in Belarus, China, Russia and Azerbaijan, but does not establish the precise dates, ownership arrangements or current status of each market. As of 2024, Double Coffee had locations in Riga, Latvia, as well as Cairo, Egypt, and Kazakhstan. The available sources do not identify a parent company, public listing, founder, current executive leadership, or detailed menu architecture. Accordingly, Double Coffee is best characterized as a Latvia-based café chain with a history of regional expansion, selective international activity and market withdrawals. Its known business scope centers on operating branded coffeehouse locations rather than manufacturing packaged coffee or functioning primarily as a retail grocery label.

Double Coffee began in Riga, Latvia, with the opening of its first café on Stabu Street on 26 September 2002. The new chain received two forms of recognition during its first year: it was identified as the best trader in Riga and the best Latvian trader. These early awards helped establish the company as a notable new participant in Latvia's café and retail environment. Expansion followed quickly. Five more Double Coffee houses opened in 2003. By the end of 2005, the chain had reached 16 Latvian locations, creating a substantial domestic network in only a few years. The company then moved beyond Latvia, establishing branches in Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. This phase reflected a regional strategy focused on the Baltic and neighboring Eastern European markets. Double Coffee later pursued a more distant international opportunity. In June 2009, it opened its first non-European branch in Beijing, China. The Beijing opening broadened the geographic ambition of the brand, but the available reference does not document the location's duration, performance or subsequent ownership. The source also mentions historical activity in Russia and Azerbaijan without providing a detailed chronology for those markets. The chain's international development was followed by retrenchment in parts of the Baltics. The Estonian section entered bankruptcy in 2009. In 2011, the Lithuanian section also entered bankruptcy, and Double Coffee withdrew from both Estonia and Lithuania. These country-level failures and exits reduced the footprint created during the earlier expansion period. By 2024, the reference material identified Double Coffee locations in Riga, Cairo and Kazakhstan. The evidence therefore indicates that the brand remained active while operating a smaller and more selective international network than during its earlier Baltic expansion. Publicly available material supplied for this dossier does not identify the founders, corporate parent, ownership structure, chief executives, financial results or detailed product portfolio. Its documented history is consequently centered on café openings, international market entry, bankruptcy-related withdrawals and the continuing presence of the brand in Latvia and selected foreign markets.

• 2024

  Reported current international footprint

  [1]Double Coffeeen.wikipedia.org

  Locations were reported in Riga, Cairo and Kazakhstan.

• 2011

  Lithuanian operation goes bankrupt

  [1]Double Coffeeen.wikipedia.org

  The Lithuanian section entered bankruptcy, followed by withdrawal from Lithuania and Estonia.

• 2009

  Entry into China

  [1]Double Coffeeen.wikipedia.org

  Double Coffee opened its first non-European location in Beijing in June.

• 2009

  Estonian operation goes bankrupt

  [1]Double Coffeeen.wikipedia.org

  The chain's Estonian section entered bankruptcy.

• 2005

  Latvian network reaches 16 locations

  [1]Double Coffeeen.wikipedia.org

  The chain had 16 Latvian locations by the end of the year.

• 2003

  Initial domestic expansion

  [1]Double Coffeeen.wikipedia.org

  Five additional Double Coffee houses opened in Latvia.

• 2002

  First café opens in Riga

  [1]Double Coffeeen.wikipedia.org

  Double Coffee opened its first café on Stabu Street in Riga on 26 September 2002.

• 2002

  Early Latvian trader recognition

  [1]Double Coffeeen.wikipedia.org

  The brand was reported as the best trader in Riga and the best Latvian trader during its founding year.

A Latvian-origin café-chain brand built around branded coffeehouse locations and regional international expansion.

• Beverages

  Coffee beverages

  Coffee is the central category implied by Double Coffee's coffeehouse format. The available reference identifies the company as a coffeehouse chain but does not provide a complete menu, named signature drinks or product specifications.

• Foodservice

  Café food and desserts

  Double Coffee locations operate as cafés, a format that may include light meals, pastries and desserts alongside beverages. The supplied sources do not identify specific dishes, recipes or branded food lines, so no narrower product claims are made here.

• 2011

  Withdrawal from Estonia and LithuaniaStrategy

  Background

  The Estonian section entered bankruptcy in 2009, and the Lithuanian section entered bankruptcy in 2011.

  Action taken

  Double Coffee withdrew from the Estonian and Lithuanian markets.

  Aftermath

  The withdrawals reduced the chain's Baltic footprint and followed the failure of its operations in both countries.

  Source

• 2009

  Expansion into ChinaStrategy

  Background

  After developing a network in Latvia and other European markets, Double Coffee sought to establish a presence outside Europe.

  Action taken

  The chain opened its first non-European café in Beijing in June 2009.

  Aftermath

  The supplied reference does not provide enough information to assess the Beijing operation's performance or duration.

  Source

1. 1Double Coffeeen.wikipedia.org