This makes Coffee Fellows the largest coffeeshop chain since they overtook Starbucks with its 159 stores.

[3] During a stay in London with her husband, Kathrin Tewes realised there were not as many coffeeshops of this kind in Germany.

The idea of the coffee chain was to establish a comfortable environment (the company's slogan is "Feel at home"), luxurious, modern and cozy.

The first store was opened in the Leopoldstraße in 1999, a second one in Düsseldorf flopped but they gained ground after this setback.

In 2000, Kathrin's husband Stefan quit his job as a consultant for Roland Berger to work with his wife.