Following initial reports on March 4, new details have emerged on China-based Centurium Capital's agreement to buy Blue Bottle Coffee's global cafés from Nestlé for under US$400 million. The deal highlights Blue Bottle's $250 million revenue, ongoing losses with profitability eyed for 2026, and challenges scaling in China's cutthroat coffee market, where Centurium's Luckin Coffee dominates by volume.
As first reported by Chinese outlets including LatePost, 36Kr and Jiemian News starting March 4, Centurium Capital—major backer of Luckin Coffee—has struck a deal for Blue Bottle's worldwide café network. Nestlé, which took a majority stake in 2017, retains the packaged coffee business.
Blue Bottle posted US$250 million in revenue for the 12 months to June 30, 2025 (US$150 million from the US, US$100 million from Asia-Pacific), but remains unprofitable, targeting breakeven in 2026. In September 2025, CEO Karl William Strovink prioritized accelerating the global café expansion, with Asia as a focus.
In China, where Blue Bottle launched in 2022 with 15 stores in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hangzhou, growth has lagged. Its premium strategy demands 6-12 months per location with bespoke designs, versus Luckin's 2-3 months or Starbucks' 4-6. Initial buzz faded fast, prompting recent shifts to high-visibility malls, which a real-estate executive says risks diluting its boutique image.
The acquisition fills a premium gap for Centurium, which considered brands like %Arabica and M Stand. Jiemian News sought comments from all parties but got none. If completed, it will challenge Centurium to turbocharge Blue Bottle against rivals like Cotti Coffee in a market Luckin leads by store count.