Blank Street has closed a $105 million equity deal that values the coffee chain at roughly $650 million, six years after it began with a single mobile cart in Brooklyn.
The August 2026 round was led by General Atlantic and includes $75 million in new capital and $30 million in secondary sales by existing shareholders. The company was valued at about $500 million in July 2025.
Blank Street was founded in 2020 by Issam Freiha, Vinay Menda and Ignacio Llado. Freiha spent the first 11 years of his life in Beirut before moving to London and later studying at Columbia University.
The company operates small-format stores designed to keep rents and prices below those of specialty coffee shops. Its locations use automatic espresso machines and typically operate with two or three employees. Matcha reportedly accounts for around half of the business.
Blank Street now has 106 locations across the US and UK, including New York, London, Boston, Washington, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It opened its first Los Angeles store in August 2026 and plans further locations in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Malibu.
The company is also expanding beyond drinks with ice cream and snacks, targeting demand outside the morning coffee rush.
Source: Leb Business
