Czech drinks maker Kofola buys stake in Cøkafe coffee chain

Czech beverage maker Kofola, led by owner and CEO Yannis Samaras, has acquired a 52% stake in the Ostrava-based coffee chain Cøkafe. Founder Richard Mauler remains a co-owner of the business, and the value of the deal was not disclosed.

Cøkafe launched in Ostrava in 2015 and today runs eight coffee shops, mostly in the Moravian-Silesian Region. The chain focuses on specialty coffee, its own bakery and patisserie, and distinctive café design.

“At Kofola I found people who are capable yet down to earth. I believe that together we can keep bringing our idea to life: being a place where people happily slow down and experience something real,” explains Richard Mauler.

For Kofola, this is another link in a chain the company has been building since 2019. It first tried growing coffee in Colombia, last year bought a family farm in Panama’s Boquete at the foot of the Barú volcano, and built its own roastery in the Moravian town of Strážnice. Now that structure is being rounded out with a place where the coffee is actually served to guests.

“We can guarantee long-term value and quality only when we know where the raw material comes from and understand the whole process,” noted Yannis Samaras.

The deal fits into the group’s food and beverage arm, which also includes the UGO Freshbar and Salaterie chains. The companies plan to expand Cøkafe to other Czech cities.

Kofola is headquartered in Ostrava and is one of the largest soft drink makers in Central Europe, with fourteen production sites across five European markets. Besides its iconic namesake drink, the company owns the brands Vinea, Rajec, Korunní, Ondrášovka and Leros, as well as three coffee brands — Café Reserva, Trepallini and Tucancitos Cafeteros. Its portfolio also includes the beer brands Zubr, Holba and Litovel.