U.S. specialty coffee company For Five Coffee Roasters has secured what it describes as a “significant growth investment” to accelerate its national expansion, with new capital earmarked for roasting capacity, retail cafes, and wholesale and hospitality channels, according to a Business Wire announcement on 13 May 2026.
The Queens, New York–based roaster currently operates 40 locations across the United States—21 flagship cafes and 19 outlets inside corporate and hotel venues—and has an additional 12 sites under development, Business Wire reported. The company also serves more than 3,500 enterprise partner establishments, highlighting its reach in workplaces and hospitality beyond its own branded cafes, according to the same release.
The new funding will be used to expand production at For Five’s roasting facility in the Maspeth neighborhood of Queens, accelerate the build-out of new retail cafes in metropolitan markets, and further scale its wholesale and hospitality divisions, Business Wire stated. Coverage from Las Vegas Sun News and Daily Coffee News confirmed that the investment amount itself was not disclosed.
Co-founder and CEO Stefanos Vouvoudakis said the company’s strategy has centered on execution, quality, and the guest experience. “We’ve built For Five with a relentless focus on execution, quality, and the guest experience,” Vouvoudakis stated in the Business Wire release. “With the support of our new partners, we’re ready to take the brand to the next level – further expanding our footprint and introducing a new standard for hospitality in the luxury coffee space.”
Founded in 2010 by Vouvoudakis and co-founder Tom Tsiplakos as a single micro-roasting facility in Queens, For Five has grown into a multi-channel operator with more than 300 employees, according to Daily Coffee News and business outlet citybiz.co. In addition to its own cafes, the brand has expanded via partnerships, including a 2019 investment from workspace provider Convene to place For Five coffee bars in co-working and event spaces, a 2019 cafe deal with real estate firm Carr Properties in Washington, D.C., and a 10-year agreement signed in 2021 with corporate foodservice provider Sodexo, Daily Coffee News reported.
The latest investment also coincides with changes in For Five’s governance structure. For the first time, the company has added external expertise to its Board of Directors, according to World Coffee Portal. Former Biomatrix Specialty Pharmacy CEO and executive chairman Nicholas Karalis and Vios Advisors managing director Michael Bapis have both joined the board, as noted by Business Wire and Daily Coffee News.
citybiz.co reported that coffee operators in the United States continue to face volatility in commodity pricing and labor costs, and stated that For Five’s growth plans carry implications for commercial real estate and hospitality operators seeking food-and-beverage partners as workplace occupancy patterns continue to evolve. In its announcement, Business Wire said the company intends to pursue production capacity expansion in Queens, build out new retail cafes in metropolitan markets, and continue scaling its wholesale and hospitality divisions.
