Nestlé Confirms Sale of Portion of Blue Bottle Coffee Business
According to a statement in its first quarter results news release, Nestlé has confirmed it will sell its Blue Bottle Coffee business to Centurium Capital in a deal that is expected to close in the first half of 2026.
Centrium is the largest shareholder of the Chinese coffee chain Luckin Coffee, according to Yicai Global, an English-language financial news service covering the China business marketplace. This deal, however, appears to have been agreed upon about a month ago, and includes only the Blue Bottle Coffee stores around the globe. The Yicai Global report cites a 36Kr article on the details of the agreement, which included a cost of about US$400 million — but did not include the Blue Bottle consumer-goods business, including coffee beans, instant coffee and RTD beverages.
Yicai Global said Blue Bottle Coffee and Luckin Coffee would continue to operate independently upon completion of the deal. Centurium Capital took over ownership of Luckin Coffee in 2020, and it has surpassed Starbucks as the largest coffee chain in China.
The addition of Blue Bottle’s 140 stores worldwide will expand its coffee footprint. Nestlé bought a 68% stake in the brand in 2017 for US$425 million, though the brand continued to operate independently.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.