Affordable or Corporate? LAP Coffee’s Controversial Rise in Berlin

Ralph Hage’s LAP Coffee arrived in Berlin three years ago with a bold promise: affordable caffeine for the city’s budget-conscious residents.

Yet, its 2.50-euro cappuccinos have sparked a fierce debate, dividing Berliners between cost-conscious fans and vocal critics. The backlash even inspired an online campaign, “LapCoffeeScheisse,” and a wave of vandalism, with red paint and “Boycott LAP” slogans defacing its blue-and-white outlets.

Undeterred, Hage is expanding aggressively. LAP, which now operates 30 stores across Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg, plans to open 20 more this year in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt. “There is a bipolarisation of everything, not just coffee,” Hage told Reuters, framing the controversy as a microcosm of Germany’s broader economic and social tensions.

Germany’s economic struggles—exacerbated by the Iran war and lingering post-pandemic sluggishness—have made frugality a necessity. LAP positions itself as a rare constant in uncertain times, boasting on its website: “Coffee futures are down 8.3%, inflation is up 2.3%. Markets change, our prices don’t.” Yet, its rapid, private equity-backed growth has drawn criticism. Michael Burda, an economics professor at Berlin’s Humboldt University, notes, “People are more against the corporate thing it represents … It’s like the McDonald’s-isation of the café business.”

Berlin’s traditional coffee culture, with its artisanal drinks and leisurely atmosphere, contrasts sharply with LAP’s grab-and-go model. Established roasteries like 19grams, which supplies LAP’s beans, charge 4.20 euros for a small cappuccino—nearly double LAP’s price. The tension highlights a clash between affordability and the city’s cherished café identity.