Jacobs Coffee: From Bremen Shop to German Icon

For many German coffee drinkers, the green Jacobs package is tied to a familiar ritual: opening the cupboard, brewing a fresh pot and letting the aroma announce that it is time to pause.

That connection between coffee and aroma began with Johann Jacobs, a Bremen merchant who believed good coffee should be both dependable and reasonably priced.

Johann Jacobs opens a shop in Bremen

Johann Jacobs opened his first specialty shop in the busy port city of Bremen in 1895. He sold coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate and biscuits with a simple mission: offer high-quality goods at sensible prices.

Bremen was an ideal starting point. As a major trading port, the city connected German merchants with products arriving from around the world. Coffee was becoming part of everyday urban life, but consistency and freshness still mattered enormously.

From merchant to coffee roaster

In 1907, Jacobs opened his own roastery. Roasting allowed the business to shape the flavor more directly and offer Bremen customers coffee prepared under the founder’s supervision.

By the late 1920s, Jacobs coffee was served in hotels, restaurants and resorts along Germany’s Baltic coast. It even traveled on transatlantic steamships, carrying the Bremen brand to coffee drinkers beyond Europe.

How aroma became part of the brand

In 1930, Johann’s nephew Walther joined the business after returning from the United States. He introduced more modern packaging and advertising that gave the idea of Jacobs aroma a visual identity.

The result was more than a slogan. Aroma is the first part of the coffee experience, reaching you before the cup does. Jacobs built its identity around that anticipation—the inviting smell that makes a kitchen or breakfast table feel ready.

Jacobs for everyday coffee moments

Today, Jacobs appears in formats ranging from whole beans and ground coffee to cappuccino mixes. Ground coffee suits a traditional drip brewer, while flavored cappuccino makes a quick afternoon treat. Serve either with crisp biscuits, a slice of cake or a European-style breakfast spread.

Shop Jacobs coffee and cappuccino at European Deli, including current ground, whole-bean and instant specialties.

A Bremen idea that traveled

Jacobs has changed ownership and expanded far beyond its original storefront, but its founding promise remains easy to recognize: carefully prepared coffee, offered for everyday enjoyment. More than 130 years later, the aroma still does much of the introduction.

See the full chronology on Jacobs Germany’s official history page.