+190 Coffee Shops in Eight Years: Interview with Ekaterina Fedorova of CofeFest

From a single coffee shop in 2017 to 190 in 2025. That's the growth trajectory of CofeFest, a brand developed with LINII. Today, we're talking with the company's founder, Ekaterina Fedorova, about brand development, future plans, and the role of design in business.

How does the CofeFest brand live and evolve? What is changing, what is working, and what is being added?

We are developing dynamically and in exciting ways, navigating the challenges of growth, external constraints, and changes in the economic climate.

Since opening the first CofeFest in 2017, our network has expanded significantly—we now have over 190 locations in Moscow alone. We are exploring new formats: classic coffee shops in business centers and city streets, as well as compact kiosks in offices and clinics.

Since 2019, we have had our own full-cycle production: coffee roasting, a patisserie, and a culinary workshop. This gives us limitless opportunities for gastronomic creativity. Our menu is a harmony of novelty and tradition: we regularly update our offerings while carefully preserving the classics our guests love. Our menu always includes items like our curd ring, Ferrero Rocher and Raffaello croissants, and the "Moskva" cake. We are also growing our catering, delivery, and mobile coffee service operations.

What works? It's the combination of a quality product, convenient locations, and a recognizable brand identity. It's also the trust we've built, as we produce almost everything ourselves—from freshly roasted coffee to sandwiches with sauces made from our own natural recipes.

Since 2018, our unique, innovative "Flavor Festival" menu—a coffee map showcasing how coffee is drunk in different countries—has become a recognizable signature feature. This was a novelty among chain coffee shops. Guests still love to come and try the "Sicilian Orange" or "Machu Picchu." They know these are syrups based on freshly squeezed orange juice and that the recipes have all-natural ingredients.

The speed of our network's growth dictates new rules. After years of success in the coffee industry, we realized that the best baristas are the ones we train ourselves. That's why this year we are launching a certified Training Center for baristas, for those ready to learn from scratch and become part of the CofeFest team.

This isn't just a course; it's a full-fledged educational system. Graduates will receive state-recognized diplomas, and the industry will gain ready-made professionals trained to our standards.

We want to pass on our experience, our service culture, and, of course, our immense love for coffee to a new generation of specialists.

We believe a true barista is not only a coffee master but also someone who can create an atmosphere.

How would you evaluate the modular kiosk solution proposed by LINII, which allows the space to fit seamlessly into both a business center and a public service building?

The modular kiosks from LINII have proven to be a very convenient and effective format. They allow us to launch new locations quickly, without lengthy approvals or major capital investment. This is especially relevant for business centers and other spaces with limited room. Thanks to the universal design and well-thought-out construction, these kiosks integrate easily into any layout while maintaining our brand's recognizability.

How easy was it to work with the concept, and to scale and develop it?

We found it very comfortable to work with the concept developed by LINII from the very first stages. From the outset, the project was designed with rapid scaling in mind. The modular approach, standardized elements, and universal design allowed us to launch new locations swiftly and without additional complications.

Our deep, collaborative immersion in the project significantly accelerated the network's development and ensured a consistent visual brand perception.

Of course, we rethink our POS materials, menu, and customer service area every year, taking digital development into account.

Does the success of your Art Deco-inspired design concept help in signing leases for new locations?

Absolutely. Our modern, recognizable design concept, inspired by Art Deco elements, is a great help in negotiations with landlords. Our style is perceived as high-quality, premium, yet accessible. It sets us apart from other operators and creates a feeling of reliability and aesthetic appeal. We see that the attractive look of our coffee shops influences the decision to grant us commercial space.

Are the signature pop-up business cards, where the logo becomes 3D when opened, still in use?

Yes, they are still alive, but they have transitioned into a VIP communication tool for the Founder to use with partners.

We now have unified business cards for the entire team and office—after all, the company has 400 employees, with about 40 in the office. The card features a convenient QR code to save contact details directly to a phone without manual entry.

Do you still use quotes from writers associated with the 1920s-30s—like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Remarque—on your cups?

Yes, we have used our "regular" cups since the brand's founding, and we add and rotate quotes about the value of the moment and the lightness of being. By the way, it's not so easy for our marketing team to source these quotes!

We also run contests for employees and followers on social media to suggest new quotes. We also use the cups for promotional campaigns and seasonal communications, which is a very relevant way to build a dialogue with our audience through brand values.

How developed is the network now? How many locations are currently open, and what is the geography? Do you have a franchise model?

Today, the CofeFest network includes over 190 coffee shops in Moscow. We are actively expanding, exploring various formats and locations: from small kiosks in business centers to full-size coffee shops. Our geography is currently limited to Moscow and the region, but we are considering opportunities to enter other cities through franchising.

We are growing through our own coffee shops and two partner franchisees. We plan to further develop distribution through two franchise formats.

What do guests note in their feedback? Do you collect their opinions on the design?

We regularly collect feedback from our guests on new products, services, and promotions. We have convenient touchpoints in our coffee shops with QR codes for easy feedback submission. We analyze all reviews daily and weekly, conduct tastings, cuppings, and surveys, and carefully monitor feedback on social media and relevant platforms. There is also a form on our website to write directly to the manager. No message goes unanswered.

Of course, many launches and innovations have happened since our work with LINII. For example, guests highly appreciate the design of our packaged coffee beans and our product cards on the website and marketplaces.

Certainly, the brand energy and DNA established in the project with LINII still generate ideas and drive our communicative design forward.

We receive a lot of positive feedback on the coffee shop design: guests love the modern atmosphere, the blend of functionality and coziness, and our recognizable style. We see that design influences guest loyalty and choice, so we pay great attention to it.

How do you measure the project's success and the relevance of its design?

We measure the project's success through key business metrics: sign/logo recognition, revenue growth, number of locations, count of regular guests, and the speed of opening new locations.

We separately track the perception of our design through feedback, reviews, and the overall attractiveness of our coffee shops to partners. We invest in developing our window displays, lighting, and the design of our menus and screens.

At LINII, we build brands to last. When do you think a brand refresh will be necessary?

We agree that a successful brand requires periodic updates, especially given the many external changes. The competitive environment has shifted, and even the perception of coffee shops has evolved.

For example, after expanding and achieving full self-sufficiency—from bean to cup, from raw material to dish—we created the slogan "WE CREATE TASTE." Communications like "we don't just roast coffee, we create taste!" emphasize that we don't just buy and sell; we create jobs in production, develop recipes, and personally oversee and develop the product.

We take particular pride in the loyalty our own employees have for our products. We are consumers of our own patisserie and culinary workshop, often buying products at a discount to take home, especially our coffee beans.

Nowadays, most partners and landlords don't just want a coffee shop in their business center or mall. They want an interesting concept with food and coffee, with tasty and healthy options—a multi-offering.

We monitor market development and are ready to modernize our menu, format, and project in a timely manner without losing the brand's core uniqueness and USP.

How has the competitive field changed since CofeFest's appearance, and what is your strategy?

Competition in the coffee shop market has increased noticeably. It's difficult to find new, unoccupied niches and locations. However, most coffee shops buy their products from the same wholesale suppliers. Their shelves and displays look the same, and the taste of a cheesecake, muffin, sandwich, or syrniki might be indistinguishable.

In recent years, new local chains and international projects have emerged, intensifying the competition for both locations and guest attention. Our strategy is to focus on product quality, develop our own production, utilize flexible coffee shop formats, and create a unique customer experience. We strive to be not just a point of sale for coffee, but a full-fledged space for relaxation and socializing.

How has the menu changed since 2018?

Since 2018, after opening the first coffee shops, the CofeFest menu has expanded significantly. We started with classic coffee drinks and pastries, and now we offer a full menu with breakfasts, desserts, interesting sandwiches, dietary and vegan options, and even full lunches.

Our conceptual, signature "Flavor Festival" menu has also expanded and is performing excellently, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the tastes and coffee culture of different parts of the world. We prepare these international flavors using our own natural syrups, like "Sicilian Orange" and "Saigon." We support the health benefits and potential of recipes, such as Libyan coffee with turmeric and other examples.

We also develop a line of seasonal drinks and implement new recipes in our patisserie and croissant workshop. Of course, not everything is a sales success. For instance, an attempt at a vegan croissant with coconut milk and a healthy recipe wasn't widely accepted by guests.

We try not to be boring or similar to others; we have stories to tell our guests at our counters, on our website, and on social media.

What kind of events and collaborations do you do for brand promotion?

We actively promote the brand through events and collaborations. We recently ran a collaboration with 2GIS on our cups, and we are in talks with a major bank, a TV channel, and online platforms for future collabs.

This autumn, we are launching a bright, warm project called "CofeFest at Grandma's" together with a charitable foundation and other participants. Through this project, we want to remind people of their loved ones and draw attention to humanity and kindness—it's not too late to join us!

What's the benefit for partners? – Our guests represent 10,000 cups a day, meaning 20,000 customer contacts. These are all people who can scan a QR code, share a user experience with us, and win a prize or gain emotions from a joint program.

Join us!

We also conduct tours of our production facility, host cuppings and tastings for our guests, participate in business events, and organize corporate coffee stations and mobile barista services.

These activities not only help us promote the brand but also form a community around CofeFest of people who value quality coffee and a pleasant atmosphere!