Cup Sleeves & Clout: Retail As A Brand Platform

Not Just a Coffee Shop: How Josh Zad Built a Brand Platform in the Middle of LA’s Trend Chaos.

In a city that cycles through trends as fast as it goes through oat milk, Alfred Coffee has pulled off something rare: staying relevant.

Founder opened the first Alfred a decade ago with no outside capital. Today, there are 20+ locations across LA, each one part of something much bigger than a chain.

Alfred is a brand platform. A curated stage for emerging CPG brands. A canvas for cultural conversation. A coffee shop, yes, but also a launchpad.

Here’s how they’re doing it:

1. Great Partners, Not Their Own BeansAlfred doesn’t roast its own coffee, on purpose. They source from Stumptown, focusing on cultural relevance over connoisseurship. Stores become stages for collaboration and connection. It’s not about owning the supply chain, it’s about owning the customer moment.

2. Partnership as PerformanceAlfred leans into LA’s spectacle. Their cafés are high-traffic, high-influence spaces—and a magnet for major campaigns:

• Kylie Jenner custom cup sleeves

• Full-store takeover for Ami Paris

• Rotating murals tied to cultural buzz

The sleeve program is booked six to nine months out. Partnerships are curated for customer fit and momentum—not just looks.

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3. Spotlight: The Coffee Shop as Launch Channel

The Spotlight Program acts like a CPG residency: brands pay for placement and get access to a brand-conscious, real-world audience.

Alumni include:

•(piloted café channel)

• (functional wellness with an edge)

• Slice, Zab's, Icelandic Glaciel‍ (trial and storytelling)

The Takeaway:

While others compete on product and price, Alfred competes on presence. It’s turned coffee into context, a real-world platform for brands and customers to plug into. It’s not about what’s brewed. It’s about what’s built.