Blue Bottle Coffee's expansion and contraction
Blue Bottle Coffee expanded rapidly after Nestlé acquired a majority stake in 2017, opening dozens of new locations. The company later closed some underperforming cafes as part of a strategic review.
The expansion and contraction showed that even well-funded specialty coffee brands face location-level challenges.
Blue Bottle refocused on its core markets and invested in its roasting operations and retail experience.
Urban Sailor Coffee's Post District closure follows a similar pattern of expansion followed by consolidation, though on a much smaller scale.
