an Francisco coffee-shop chain Philz Coffee announced it has closed a $15 million Series B funding round in an effort to expand nationwide.
The funding round was led by Summit Partners, but it also included a mix of angel investors, actors and Snoop Dogg.
“Snoop has a special affinity for organic ingredients,” said Nick Adler, vice president of Cashmere Agency, which works with Snoop Dogg on investments. “He loved the Philz business but also loved the way they respect the coffee beans.”
The coffee chain exploded in the San Francisco Bay Area, where owner Phil Jaber opened a single store in the city’s Mission District in 2003.
Philz now consists of 18 shops in the Bay Area and a Los Angeles location.
But Adler says Snoop views Philz as more than just a coffee business.
“Philz is more like a bar than a coffee shop in that you order directly with your barista and they handcraft the perfect cup for you and it’s full service so when you get your cup it’s all done for you,” Adler said.
The chain is known for its made-to-order, filter-dripped coffee served with organic sugar and cream, made by baristas who say “take a sip, and let me know if it’s perfect” before passing it off to customers.
“There are businesses that focus on markets, cohorts, margins and scale. That’s all good,” said Philz investor Salil Deshpande. “But there are companies like Philz that focus on making one great cup of coffee, and one great store experience, and do that many times.”
With the latest funding round, Philz plans to open at least 10 more locations nationwide by the end of 2015, according to TechCrunch.
That’s not to say Philz is going to overtake Starbucks anytime soon.
“I don’t think Philz is trying to take anyone on, they want to grow and share their special experience with more people around the world,” Adler said. “I do think they are in an extremely strong position to do well in lots of places.”
Snoop isn’t the only celebrity who seems to love Philz. There’s a Philz location at Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters, reportedly at the request of Mark Zuckerberg himself, according to TechCrunch.
This isn’t Snoop’s first investment. He has also invested in companies including Reddit and stock-trading app Robinhood.
Going to check out Philz yourself? Adler said Snoop’s go-to drink is the Tesora, which happens to be the first Philz blend ever created.
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