Five Elephant

Overview

Five Elephant is a specialty coffee roastery, bakery, and café chain based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 2010. It focuses on sourcing and roasting high-quality single-origin coffees, sustainable supplier relationships, and offering wholesale, retail, and café services with baked goods.¹²³⁴

History

Five Elephant was founded in 2010 by Kris and Sophie Schackman in Berlin to share their passion for freshly roasted coffee and baked goods. It quickly became one of Berlin's first specialty third-wave coffee roasters, expanding rapidly due to an American-influenced coffee shop approach and a temporary visa policy that brought receptive consumers to the city. The business grew from a single café to multiple locations, including four cafés, a roastery, bakery, and retail operations.¹²³⁷

Product Lines

Manufacturing

Coffee is roasted in-house at their Berlin roastery, with numerous test roasts performed to develop production profiles for each bean. Green beans are ethically sourced directly from producers, such as in Brazil's Mogiana region. Baked goods are produced in their own bakery for cafés and retail.³⁵⁶⁸

Notable Products

• Famous Cheesecake - Signature cheesecake popular among Berlin customers and visitors.
• Mogiana Brazil Coffee - Single-origin coffee sourced directly from Luciano Vicente in São Paulo state.
• Espresso Blend - Blend used in cafés and available for wholesale.
• Single-Origin Offerings - Varietal coffees highlighting diverse terroirs and sustainable practices.

Reputation

Five Elephant is recognized by coffee enthusiasts for pioneering specialty roasting in Berlin and its commitment to sustainability through direct, long-term farmer relationships. Professionals note its rapid expansion and influence on the third-wave scene, aided by unique market timing. Some highlight the popularity of its cafés and bakery, particularly the cheesecake.¹²³⁵