Delek Group Ltd. subsidiary Delek Israel Fuel Corporation Ltd. has acquired 50% of café chain Joe Gourmet Coffee Ltd. (branded as Cup ‘O’ Joe), the fuel company’s first step in its strategy to gain a foothold in the café market. The move comes less than three months after Delek Israel CEO Avi Ben-Assayag set a non-fuel sales target of NIS 1 billion.
Cup ‘O’ Joe was founded by David Klein and Dov Goldfarb in 1997. Klein, the dominant partner in the chain’s management, recently moved to the US. The chain has 64 branches, operated by franchisees, with ten more scheduled to open this year. A franchisee must invest NIS 1.7 million to set up a branch. The company also owns a coffee production plant in Holon, which supplies the chain.