Protest needs a face: everyone against LAP, no one against CottiCoffee

2025 saw a culmination of criticism toward LAP Coffee, a venture-backed German startup that expanded rapidly with its coffee kiosks and kept prices low. At the beginning of 2026, the Chinese coffee chain Cotti Coffee appeared in Germany with even cheaper coffee and even greater ambitions. The reactions remained largely analytical rather than emotional. Why are we so much more offended by things that don't hurt as much, compared to where the major shifts are actually happening?

Berlin, 2023. Two people from the tech startup scene, backed by VC money, open small coffee kiosks. A cappuccino costs 2.50 euros, an espresso 1.50 euros. Within two years, they open 26 locations: 19 in Berlin, the rest in Hamburg and Munich. By the end of 2026, LAP aims to grow to 60 locations.

And then, at the end of 2025, something interesting happens. The shops are pelted with paint. There had been criticism since the start, but that was when it culminated. The specialty coffee scene, neighborhood representatives, and loud voices are up in arms, and almost every news station is reporting on it.

We were also approached to appear on camera for ProSieben’s Galileo to discuss the LAP phenomenon. We did it, but the segment only aired once—more on that later.

So: We have LAP Coffee, pushing into the market with rock-bottom prices. I commented on this in a podcast in early 2024. I emphasized how, from a moral perspective, I find selling specialty coffee at such a low price point questionable. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then: coffee prices have risen, I’ve given it a lot of thought, and inflation has returned in a massive way.

I saw the logic behind why specialty cafés and local neighborhood cafés might feel threatened. After all, we have spent years trying to explain what coffee is actually worth. And then someone comes along, drives the price down, and many people flock to them.

But then I realized: Specialty cafés and local neighborhood cafés aren't actually the endangered species here—they can afford to sit back a little.

And what is really so bad about offering cheap coffee?

After all: Who are we appealing to with expensive coffee—and who are we not?

Amid all the noise, it went unnoticed that a Chinese chain called Cotti Coffee is currently taking off in Germany, offering even cheaper coffee than LAP Coffee, yet there was no outcry. That’s why I am discussing the LAP and Cotti Coffee phenomenon here—but above all, the irritation they trigger (or, in some cases, don't) and the navel-gazing of an industry that might be better off looking at itself.

The LAP Coffee Logic

The concept behind LAP Coffee naturally breaks with what hand-crafted specialty coffee stands for. If, 15 years ago, specialty coffee stood for craftsmanship, for a genuine and unique coffee experience, for hospitality, and for the special nature of coffee, that may still hold true for the generation that discovered specialty coffee that way.

But the world keeps turning, and that’s what LAP Coffee has done. Everything is automated. They have very smartly eliminated the pain points of the hospitality industry. Labor costs are high, and milk frothing or advising customers on which coffee is best for what takes time. And there is arguably little potential for waste, whether in coffee or milk, because everything is automated.

This, of course, is diametrically opposed to what has defined specialty coffee for decades. Naturally, cafés that prioritize high-quality coffee must also calculate costs precisely and rigorously to be successful in the long run, but for many, automation clashes with the artisanal aspect. LAP, however, incorporates the craft element by having 19grams handle the roasting.

We tasted the coffee from LAP Coffee. It is a medium-dark to dark roast from a large farm in Brazil. Not fancy, not recognizable, but an absolutely solid choice to meet consumers where they are. But nonetheless: roasted by a local roaster that stands for specialty coffee.

Criticism of LAP Coffee

The mood shifted in the spring of 2025. Criticism of LAP gathered momentum, and the specter of gentrification started making the rounds. From my armchair in Basel, I could follow it all and understood the logic, but I also thought that LAP represents zero-point-zero of what cafés with a sensory ambition or the idea of building a physical community are about.

The emphasis is on "physical," because all the criticism and attention toward LAP actually helped generate a huge amount of traffic for their social media pages. When the cafés were smeared with paint bags, it reminded me of the time I was at an anti-WEF demo in high school without really knowing what I was doing there.

The criticism also centered on the idea that LAP only wants data. Sure, that’s the case with every AI today, and has been the case for decades for anyone using a credit card. To me, LAP is more of a materialized lifestyle that is primarily portrayed through social media but has little to do with reality.

Our experience at Galileo

And because it felt like all the media was reporting on it, a production company producing for Galileo reached out to us. We spent a day in November 2025 filming, talking, and drinking coffee. It was truly interesting to see how much work goes into a 14-minute segment. We calculated who earns what on the coffee. The segment aired, and I found it quite balanced; the reporter asked the right questions and presented various perspectives.

Unfortunately, the audio track for one of the interviewees was so poor that ProSieben removed the video from the web.

Who should be afraid of LAP Coffee?

In any case, we contextualized the LAP case from our perspective: as a coffee company that is not based in Berlin, but operates hospitality locations and roasts coffee. Our conclusion was:

LAP is not competition for neighborhood cafés; LAP is competition for Starbucks and co. These chains also went fully automated but charged significantly higher prices for their coffee drinks.

And that is exactly where LAP Coffee is aiming. Where everything is automated. And where, in the end, it’s brands fighting brands.

A neighborhood café isn't a brand; it’s a social space. Some say this is David versus Goliath. I think the comparison is flawed—different concepts meet different target audiences. And if anyone has reason to feel threatened, it’s the chains: Starbucks, McCafé, etc. Especially when the new outlets are opened in high-traffic locations.

And against this backdrop, a new player has arrived. One much larger than LAP, one cheaper than LAP, one with even more funding than LAP, one that wants to operate globally: Enter Cotti Coffee. From China.

At the beginning of 2026, the major Chinese chain arrived, launching simultaneously in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, and Düsseldorf. And Cotti is even cheaper than LAP when ordering via app. Cotti operates via franchising—the same model that allowed McDonald's to become so big so quickly.

Anyone focused purely on growth needs vast amounts of coffee. So, let’s take a look at the coffee: Where do LAP and Cotti source their green coffee?

Where do LAP and Cotti Coffee source their coffee?

We know that coffee is not infinitely available because it is grown on finite land. The LAP and Cotti concepts, however, express infinite scalability. LAP sources coffee from 19grams in Berlin, which in turn buys from a larger farm in Brazil. Solid coffee, solid farm, solid roast—I tried the coffee during our Galileo shoot. The coffee is specialty coffee by definition because it scores over 80 points, but that really doesn't mean much these days.

It’s a consistent flavor profile because it comes from a large, efficient farm that produces high volume, which allows it to remain so cheap. And: because it’s not a “crazy” coffee profile, it is easier to reach a large number of people on one hand, and easier to grow and guarantee a consistent taste on the other. LAP is currently very locally oriented, but will eventually have to look for a different roaster if they want to expand internationally.

And Cotti Coffee?

They already have nearly 20,000 stores in 28 countries. Now it's Germany's turn. It’s funny that the founders are former Luckin Coffee people. While LAP is still a dwarf compared to Cotti and has its coffee roasted in Berlin, Cotti Coffee has its own sourcing and production strategy.

In Anhui province in eastern China, Cotti has not only its own roastery but also a sourcing strategy that overshadows every other roastery in the world. Because Cotti doesn't just buy green coffee; they rely on direct agreements with governments and large producer cooperatives.

In Uganda, for example, there is a well-documented deal with the Ministry of Agriculture to export Ugandan coffee to China on a large scale. This deal aims to position Uganda as the leading African coffee brand in Asia. Specific regions like Bugisu are targeted for Arabica beans, and the Lake Victoria basin for Robusta beans. In addition, Cotti is preparing to build its own supply chain bases in South America, Ethiopia, and Vietnam to ensure the supply for its stores worldwide.

You see: different standards, different markets—and suddenly LAP looks like a dwarf. I said at the beginning that comparing LAP to a local café doesn't offer much comparability. In fairness, I must admit that comparing LAP to Cotti doesn't offer much comparability either—except, and this is important to me: They are rolling out their concept in a really big way, in many cities, at many neuralgic points, and even cheaper than LAP. And if price is one of the main points of criticism, we have to compare them here.

Where is the criticism of Cotti Coffee?

The reaction to Cotti is much more analytical than emotional. There is no outcry on social media, or at least I don't see it. Other media outlets are reporting on it—those that favor infinite scalability—but the mainstream media is much less involved. I recorded this with Arne from Coffeeness, who drank coffee at Cotti Coffee and didn't find it particularly interesting from a sensory perspective. Arne also asked: Where is the criticism of Cotti? Thanks for the setup; I'll run with that.

Cotti is doing the same thing as LAP, just bigger, and nobody is smearing their shops. Because: Protest needs a face.

When I was in school, McDonald's branches were destroyed on May 1st. Then banks like UBS and commodity firms, too. McDonald's was the—albeit not personal—face of ominous globalization. Today, I hardly see that anymore. Globalization is complex; the word has gone out of fashion for criticism, and the topics have shifted.

Today, protest is more concrete. Paint attacks on Company X because it buys oil from Russia, or media protest against Oatly because BlackRock became an investor there. Protest needs a face to catch on. And that is why LAP is simply vulnerable. A founder with a background at Red Bull and a storefront where small shops used to be—someone like that is easy to put in the pillory. Cotti, on the other hand: who are they? Is there a face there? Is there a founder story? It’s just a name, nothing more. Even Starbucks, with Howard Schultz and now the former Chipotle CEO, is much more person-centric. Cotti is coming in the slipstream, rolling out 20,000 stores in four years, and operating completely anonymously.

What is the “right” price for a cup of coffee?

Regarding the price for a cup of coffee, it seems to me that we have a completely locally ingrained understanding and a massive stubbornness.

Because if we are outraged that 1.50 euros is too little for an espresso, then we clearly have a “right” price or at least a price range in our heads. 1.50 euros in Italy, however, is widely accepted.

Similarly, there is outrage when espresso is too expensive; then it’s a high-brow specialty and hipster café product. So, there is an invisible price range in our heads. And I see this with specialty beer, sourdough bread, wine, and clothing. Not too low, not too high. Those who have become accustomed to higher coffee prices might see low prices as a predatory approach. Those who drink cheap coffee anyway, or who can only afford cheap coffee, do not find LAP and Cotti threatening.

And finally, regarding the social space. The “third space”—the place where you sit, drink coffee, and are neither at home nor at work, i.e., where social interaction takes place—this concept is crumbling. Large sofas are no longer found in coffee shops; that was the 2000s. Today we see fully automated processes and fully automated machines. In this respect, LAP, Cotti, etc., are merely responses to a reality and demand that we ourselves create.

I said at the beginning that the coffee industry would do well to engage in a little less navel-gazing. Otherwise, we will eventually end up lamenting like other restaurateurs who complain that less alcohol is consumed and less smoking is done today, presenting it as a problem. When I hear from cafés saying that less coffee and more matcha is being consumed, then that is likely true in specific instances, and first and foremost, it is a mandate to adapt the offering. Or not—and then sharpen one’s own profile accordingly.

The coffee world with all its facets is really spinning fast. And today, it is no longer just about craftsmanship. We ourselves are becoming increasingly digital and are currently testing a fully automated milk frother in our cafés. Romanticism has never done the industry any favors. So it is high time to rethink what seems self-evident.