Nestlé confirms sale of Blue Bottle Coffee to Centurium Capital
The transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026.
Nestlé has confirmed that it has agreed to sell its majority stake in Blue Bottle Coffee to Centurium Capital, according to the company’s first-quarter sales report.
Last month, Bloomberg reported that Centurium Capital and Luckin Coffee were evaluating multiple coffee-chain targets, including Blue Bottle Coffee, Costa Coffee, and the operator of % Arabica stores in China.
Blue Bottle Coffee, founded in Oakland, California in 2002, has grown into a global specialty coffee brand with locations across the United States and several Asian markets, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Nestlé acquired a 68% stake in the company in 2017 for approximately $425m, according to the report.
Centurium Capital’s partner, Luckin Coffee, established nine years ago, has rapidly expanded its presence in China despite a major accounting scandal and subsequent U.S. delisting in 2020. It now operates roughly 31,000 stores, making it the country’s largest coffee chain.
Nestle said the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026.
