Bootlegger Coffee Company
Bootlegger is a privately owned South African café franchise, and supplier of beverage products.
Headquartered in Cape Town, Bootlegger operates over 80 stores in South Africa, across 5 provinces, with a majority of stores being located in Cape Town.
History
Bootlegger was founded when it opened its first store in Sea Point, Cape Town, in 2013. The company was started by 3 friends - Pieter Bloem, and brothers De Waal and Antonie Basson. The friends opened the café chain as a result of not being able to find enough quality coffeehouses open early enough to enjoy during their morning run.The first Bootlegger was a rebranding of an existing coffeehouse called Go Gos, which the trio bought and rebranded to the name Bootlegger, which was inspired by the spirit of 1920s America.
In 2017, Bootlegger opened its first BCG outlet in Constantia, Cape Town. The new format store was built to have a more sophisticated feel, and a menu created by chef Eric Bulpitt, who heads up FABER, a restaurant in Paarl. The first BCG took over the location of the old Greens restaurant in High Constantia.
Also in 2017, the company opened its first Bootlegger Coffee and Ice Cream Parlour, at Surfer's Corner, in Muizenberg, Cape Town.
In 2023, Bootlegger moved its Cape Town headquarters from Sea Point to Ndabeni. The new site was redeveloped into a mixed-use facility, including the company's headquarters, its coffee roasting facility, a flagship restaurant, and its sister company; Ou Meul's Central Bakery. The new building, called The Coffee Depot, also includes office and retail space for other companies.
In September 2025, Bootlegger announced a partnership to provide its beverages to South African airline FlySafair. As part of the strategy, all domestic passengers would be able to buy Bootlegger's Colombian FD Coffee; Cappuccino; Hot Chocolate; and Dilmah Ceylon and Rooibos Tea drinks on board FlySafair flights.
Operations
As of 2025, Bootlegger owns over 80 stores, located across 5 South African provinces. The company operates as a franchise, offering two formats; a larger All Day Café and smaller XS Café.The company also operates a grill in Constantia, and an ice cream parlour in Muizenberg, both in Cape Town.
Bootlegger sells a variety of coffee products, including beans and capsules under its own brand name. Its cafés also serve food throughout the day. The company also sells coffee equipment, such as grinders, kettles, espresso machines, french presses, and capsule machines, from brands including Sanremo, Bialetti, AeroPress, and Nuova Simonelli.
The company roasts its beans in-house, at its roastery in Woodstock, Cape Town. One of the largest micro-roasteries in South Africa, the facility produces between 350 and 400 tons of coffee per year. Its beans are sourced from Central Africa and South America.