B

Blank Street

Specialty coffee shop chain with app

Overview

Blank Street operates as a specialty coffee brand focused on small, cost-efficient locations and quick, premium service. It sells high-quality coffee and fresh, locally sourced food in cities like New York, London, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Its product works through a combination of carefully sourced specialty coffees, fast preparation from compact carts or shops, and a technology layer (order ahead, customized drinks, schedule orders, and loyalty through the Blank Street app) to streamline purchasing and reward regular customers. The company differentiates itself by running smaller, lower-overhead outlets to cut costs and pass savings to customers and employees while paying baristas above-market wages, and by leveraging tech to enhance convenience and loyalty. Its goal is to redefine the coffee shop experience by combining quality, affordability, and strong customer service at scale across major cities.

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About Blank Street

Simplify's Rating
Why Blank Street is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Food & AgricultureData & AnalyticsConsumer SoftwareConsumer Goods

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

Series B

Total Funding

$127M

Headquarters

New York City, New York

Founded

2020

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What believers are saying

  • General Atlantic led Blank Street’s August 2026 financing at a $650 million valuation.
  • Studio City opened August 21, 2026; Beverly Hills follows, expanding West Coast reach.
  • Management says most sales now happen after 4 p.m., supporting higher-frequency revenue.

What critics are saying

  • Blank Street’s $30 million secondary sale leaves only $75 million for expansion.
  • California openings in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and Malibu test a walk-up format.
  • Starbucks and Joe & The Juice can copy matcha, convenience, and premium positioning.

What makes Blank Street unique

  • 500-square-foot stores and Eversys automation keep labor and rent structurally low.
  • Blank Street’s 2026 menu centers matcha, afternoon drinks, and ice cream.
  • The app-driven, quick-service model turns coffee into a repeatable daily ritual.

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Funding

Total Funding

$127M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

4 Rounds

Series B funding is typically for startups that have proven their business model and need more funding to expand rapidly—often by entering new markets or adding more products. Investors are usually venture capital firms that specialize in later-stage investments.
Series B Funding Comparison
Above Average

Industry standards

$35M
$45M
$65M
$75M
$100M

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Paid Vacation
  • Paid Sick Leave
  • Paid Holidays
  • Parental Leave
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Company Equity

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

2%

2 year growth

3%
Retail Times
Nov 2nd, 2026
Blank Street chooses Landsec's Liverpool ONE for UK first kiosk concept.

Blank Street chooses Landsec's Liverpool ONE for UK first kiosk concept. Reading Time: 2 mins read Landsec has secured New York founded coffee and matcha brand Blank Street for Liverpool ONE, with the brand set to open its first Liverpool location on 1 November in a new standalone kiosk format. Located on Paradise Street, the opening will introduce a purpose designed standalone kiosk, the first of its kind for Blank Street in the UK. Inspired by the brand's original Wythe Diner location in Brooklyn, it will serve the brand's signature coffee and matcha drinks, alongside its limited-edition autumn menu. The signing follows a two-year search by Blank Street for a Liverpool location, and adds to its growing UK presence across London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Liverpool ONE welcomed 33 million visitors last year, providing the brand with access to an established and diverse customer base as it continues its UK expansion. The opening comes as food and beverage continues to grow across Landsec's portfolio. At Liverpool ONE, Blank Street joins a series of recent hospitality arrivals over the past 12 months, including Brewski, Dave's Hot Chicken, and the soon to be relaunched Junkyard Social Club, and, adding to the range of food and beverage options across the destination. Mark Warne, director of hospitality and leisure at Landsec, said: "Blank Street has built a strong following through its distinctive drinks offer and the experience it creates in its stores. Its arrival at Liverpool ONE brings an exciting new concept to Paradise Street, with a thoughtfully designed space that gives visitors another place to meet, socialise and enjoy great coffee and matcha. "We're seeing growing demand from hospitality brands looking to reach new audiences in prime retail destinations, and from visitors seeking more than just shopping. Blank Street's arrival reflects that shift and adds to the variety of food and beverage experiences available at Liverpool ONE." Ignacio Llado, co-founder at Blank Street, said: "Liverpool has been a project two years in the making. You only open your first store in a city once, so it had to be the ultimate Blank Street experience. The location and the design had to be perfect, and I'm convinced we got there. I can't wait to finally bring it to life"

Hospitality & Catering News
Oct 30th, 2026
Blank Street to open first UK standalone kiosk at Liverpool ONE.

Blank Street to open first UK standalone kiosk at Liverpool ONE. October 30, 2026 Blank Street is set to open its first Liverpool location at Liverpool ONE on Sunday 1 November 2026, introducing the New York-founded coffee and matcha brand's first standalone kiosk concept in the UK. The new venue, located on Paradise Street, represents a further stage in Blank Street's expansion across the UK, where it has established a presence in cities including London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Inspired by the brand's original Wythe Diner location in Brooklyn, the purpose-designed kiosk will offer Blank Street's established selection of coffee and matcha drinks, alongside its limited-edition autumn menu. The Liverpool opening follows a two-year search by Blank Street for a suitable location in the city, with Liverpool ONE selected for its established retail and leisure offering. According to Landsec, Liverpool ONE welcomed 33 million visitors during 2025, providing the brand with access to a substantial customer base within one of the North West's principal shopping and hospitality destinations. The new kiosk format also marks a development in Blank Street's UK property strategy, introducing a standalone concept designed for a prominent pedestrianised retail location. The signing comes as Landsec continues to strengthen the food and beverage offering across its retail destinations, with hospitality operators playing an increasingly important role in attracting visitors and supporting customer engagement. At Liverpool ONE, Blank Street joins a growing collection of food and beverage businesses, including recent arrivals Brewski and Dave's Hot Chicken. The destination has also welcomed the relaunch of Junkyard Golf Club's Liverpool venue as the UK's first Junkyard Social Club, introducing a broader combination of food, drink and entertainment. Mark Warne, Director of Hospitality and Leisure at Landsec, said: "Blank Street has built a strong following through its distinctive drinks offer and the experience it creates in its stores. Its arrival at Liverpool ONE brings an exciting new concept to Paradise Street, with a thoughtfully designed space that gives visitors another place to meet, socialise and enjoy great coffee and matcha. "We're seeing growing demand from hospitality brands looking to reach new audiences in prime retail destinations, and from visitors seeking more than just shopping. Blank Street's arrival reflects that shift and adds to the variety of food and beverage experiences available at Liverpool ONE." The opening extends Blank Street's UK network as the operator continues to develop its coffee and matcha offering in established urban locations. The Liverpool kiosk will provide a new format for the company, combining its existing drinks menu with a compact standalone retail presence. Ignacio Llado, Co-Founder at Blank Street, said: "Liverpool has been a project two years in the making. You only open your first store in a city once, so it had to be the ultimate Blank Street experience. The location and the design had to be perfect, and I'm convinced we got there. I can't wait to finally bring it to life" For Liverpool ONE, the addition represents another hospitality signing within its retail estate, reflecting the continued development of food and drink as part of the wider visitor experience. Blank Street's first Liverpool location will open on Paradise Street on Sunday 1 November 2026. Associated Articles Junkyard Social Club Opens at Liverpool ONE Ahead of Planned 2027 Rollout Junkyard has relaunched its Liverpool ONE venue with expanded entertainment, gaming and hospitality facilities, demonstrating the destination's growing leisure and food and beverage offering. Black Sheep Coffee Signs 20-Store Franchise Agreement Creating 300 Jobs Black Sheep Coffee has announced plans for at least 20 new stores across northern England and southern Scotland, highlighting continued investment and expansion within the UK coffee shop sector. The Crown Estate Secures Four Hospitality Brands as Princes Street Reaches Full Occupancy The Crown Estate has secured four hospitality operators in London's West End, demonstrating the importance of food and beverage businesses in attracting visitors to major retail destinations.

Restaurantji
Oct 15th, 2026
Blank Street Coffee lands in Los Angeles, with ice cream on the way.

Blank Street Coffee lands in Los Angeles, with ice cream on the way. Days after Blank Street Coffee opened in Los Angeles, a line stretched "down the street" despite 103-degree heat, a local source told Daily Coffee News. The Brooklyn-born coffee and matcha chain opened its first West Coast cafe on Aug. 12 at 13273 Ventura Blvd. in Studio City, a Los Angeles neighborhood with deep roots in the entertainment business. It's the company's 106th location. "Studio City felt right for our California debut," co-founder and CEO Issam Freiha said in a statement. Freiha started Blank Street in 2020 with Vinay Menda and Ignacio Llado Alvarez-Salas. Their first shop was a cart in the garden of Wythe Diner in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, painted the sage green the chain still uses. "It began as a purely practical decision, a color chosen so our original coffee carts would blend naturally into their first backdrops: the parks and backyard gardens of New York City," Freiha told WWD. The company runs more than 100 shops across the U.S. and U.K., with a Boston University cafe on the way. "L.A. has always been a dream for us, both personally and as a brand," Freiha told WWD. "This city sets an incredibly high bar for coffee and matcha and we didn't want to show up until we had lots of confidence that our brand and hospitality standards had evolved enough to meet and exceed people's expectations." Blank Street raised $75 million in new funding from backers including General Atlantic, the private equity firm that owns Joe & the Juice. The Financial Times put the company's value at about $650 million, up from $500 million last year. A Beverly Hills cafe inside a historic Tudor Revival building comes next, and Freiha has named West Hollywood and Malibu as future stops. Studio City customers get an exclusive drink, the Cortado Cloud. It comes with matcha or espresso under a vanilla bean sweet cream cloud. Blank Street will add ice cream by the end of the year. The company built the line with Zen Ong of Awan, an L.A. shop known for vegan, Indonesian-inspired flavors. The team based the four launch flavors on the drink menu: White Chocolate Matcha, Vanilla Bean Affogato, Mocha and Strawberry Shortcake Matcha. Blank Street wants the scoops to lift afternoon sales. In 2022, Blank Street said it would open 10 D.C. shops within a year. That didn't happen, and a 14th Street NW cafe closed in January 2025. Celebrity fans Sabrina Carpenter and Kendall Jenner have raised the chain's profile. "You should never have to compromise on the most important part of your day, and for me that's my morning flat white," Freiha said. Freiha's team plans to test that promise next in Beverly Hills. Other recently opened Blank Street Coffee locations:

Business Wire
Oct 7th, 2026
Blank Street UK turnover jumps 71% to $74.8M as operating profit nearly triples

Blank Street UK Limited reported turnover of £58.9 million for the year ended 31 December 2025, up 71% on the prior year. Operating profit increased nearly threefold to £4.6 million from £1.6 million in 2024. Growth was driven by stronger demand at existing stores, particularly from new signature and seasonal drinks across matcha and coffee menus. Matcha continued to boost afternoon sales. The coffee chain opened 12 new stores across London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Leeds, bringing its UK total to 50 locations. This expansion doubled the number of UK cities it operates in from three to six. Blank Street plans to continue investing in product quality, innovation, and thoughtfully chosen new stores with premium in-store experiences.

Time Out
Oct 6th, 2026
New York's most viral coffee chain is officially coming to Wicker Park.

New York's most viral coffee chain is officially coming to Wicker Park. An empty Starbucks is about to become a Blank space. Tuesday October 6 2026 Chicago's coffee scene is about to get another national chain, because no one has yet reached critical caffeine mass. Blank Street Coffee, the rapidly expanding New York-born chain known for its minimalist cafes, matcha-heavy menu and aggressively Instagrammable drinks, is coming to Wicker Park. The company will apparently take over the former Starbucks space at 1588 N. Milwaukee Ave., according to Crain's. An opening date has not yet been announced. The location is a particularly prominent one, directly across from the Damen CTA Blue Line stop. The space was previously home to a Starbucks Reserve location, so Blank Street has some fairly large coffee-chain shoes to fill. Launched in Brooklyn in 2020 as a tiny coffee cart tucked into the garden of Wythe Diner in Williamsburg, Blank Street has grown to more than 100 locations across the U.S. and U.K., with the company pitching itself as a specialty coffee shop built around convenience, design and highly photogenic beverages. The menu is likely to be one of the biggest draws for Chicago's matcha set, and for those of PahRoo who love a grid-worthy coffee moment during the workday. Blank Street is known for drinks such as its shaken vanilla bean matcha and cinnamon bun latte, alongside more traditional espresso drinks, cold brews and other specialty beverages. The Chicago arrival comes in the wake of the company raising more than $100 million in venture capital this summer, fueling its already rapid expansion, which ha sincluded stores in Boston and Los Angeles. Of course, Blank Street's arrival is already prompting the sort of neighborhood discourse that accompanies any chain moving into Wicker Park. The area is hardly suffering from a coffee shortage, with longtime neighborhood favorites like The Wormhole Coffee and other cafes already clustered around Milwaukee and Damen. Local reaction online has ranged from enthusiasm to boredom, which seems pretty typical for any online reaction these days. Still, there's something to be said about more options. If nothing else, at least PahRoo all know where to get a good matcha in the near future. Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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