Chinese coffee titan set to buy Oakland-born Blue Bottle Coffee

Blue Bottle Coffee, the Oakland-born specialty coffee roaster owned by Nestlé, could soon be acquired by a Chinese investment firm that controls one of China’s biggest coffee chains.

Centurium Capital, the majority shareholder of Luckin Coffee, is reportedly buying Blue Bottle for less than $400 million. The Chinese news outlet Yicai Global said the deal has been signed but not yet finalized.

Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Centurium is in “advanced talks” to acquire Blue Bottle, according to people familiar with the situation.

Blue Bottle offers customers specialty coffee options, including a sweet and creamy New Orleans-style coffee, as well as espresso drinks and cold brew. The company has several locations in Los Angeles in Culver City, Santa Monica and West Hollywood.

Nestlé will retain Blue Bottle’s consumer goods business, including instant coffee and ready-to-drink beverages, while Centurium will acquire Blue Bottle’s global stores, according to reports.

Founded in the Bay Area in 2002, Blue Bottle has more than 70 U.S. locations as well as outlets in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. The company was part of a movement toward expensive, single-origin coffee beans known in the U.S. as third wave coffee.

According to an exclusive report from one Chinese outlet, Blue Bottle is still operating at a loss. The company’s revenue for the year ended June 30, 2025, was $250 million, with about $150 million coming from U.S. stores, the outlet said.

Nestlé bought a majority stake in Blue Bottle in 2017, paying $425 million for 68% of the shares. Based in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé also makes hot chocolate and cookie dough, and has stakes in popular brands including Cheerios and Häagen-Dazs.

Centurium Capital became the largest shareholder of Luckin Coffee in 2022. In 2020, Luckin agreed to pay a $180-million penalty to settle charges brought by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission alleging fabricated sales.

Luckin reported more than $7 billion in revenue in 2025 and has more than 30,000 locations globally.

Blue Bottle, Nestlé and Centurium Capital did not immediately respond to a request for comment.