A fast-growing coffee chain selling cappuccinos for €2.50 has stirred controversy in Berlin, igniting debate among local café owners and drawing the attention of activist groups. Life Among People (LAP Coffee), founded in 2023 by former Delivery Hero executive Ralph Hage and ex-Flink employee Tonalli Arreola, has rapidly expanded to 24 locations across Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich.
LAP’s low prices, roughly half what many Berlin cafés charge, have attracted customers but prompted warnings from local operators about unfair competition. Several LAP branches in Berlin were targeted with red paint in late October. Police confirmed incidents at four locations across Prenzlauer Berg, Mitte, Kreuzberg, Schöneberg, and Kantstraße, where windows and facades were defaced and flyers were left behind.
Philipp Reichel, owner of Isla Coffee in Neukölln, said the chain’s pricing strategy threatens smaller businesses. “We’ve been trying for years to show how valuable coffee is and why it has its price,” he told regional broadcaster rbb. Reichel warned that LAP’s continued expansion could draw walk-in customers away from established shops, particularly in busy areas where coffee prices have risen to as much as €6. LAP offers espresso for €1.50, flat whites for €3, and matcha lattes for €4.
Activist groups have also criticised LAP online. A website called “lapcoffeescheiße” accused the company of exploiting workers, blocking union formation, and misusing customer data. The group, citing the founders’ previous work at Red Bull and Delivery Hero, demanded Hage donate 80% of his fortune to co-determination structures before meeting with them. LAP denied any involvement in the paint attacks, and no direct link has been established between the website and the vandalism.
Hage defended LAP’s business model, insisting it was not intended to harm local cafés. “We compete with chains and capsules while having no interest in harming the local coffee scene,” he told Euronews. He argued that affordable coffee increases street activity and overall demand. Hage also said the company is working with Berlin’s waste management service to address environmental concerns and expressed frustration over the attacks on his staff. “Their workplace was attacked and damaged. I have great respect for how the team reacted,” he said.
Not all café operators see LAP as a threat. Leoni Lencinas, who runs Berlin breakfast café A Never Ever Ending Love Story, described the competition as normal business practice. “If a new shop opens across the street, you can get annoyed about it — but it doesn’t get you anywhere,” she said, adding that cafés should focus on what makes their business distinctive.
Brand researcher Arnd Zschiesche said LAP targets a different audience from typical neighbourhood cafés. Berlin alone has more than 1,100 cafés, and LAP’s 24 locations represent a small fraction of the market. “Each serves a different audience and offers a different experience. LAP is for people who want a good coffee quickly at a fair price,” Hage said.
The debate over LAP highlights the broader tension between affordability, competition, and community identity in Berlin’s evolving coffee culture.
