Black & White Coffee Cartel is a New Zealand specialty coffee franchise with a story rooted in the Christchurch rebuild. In the years following the 2011 earthquake that flattened large parts of the city, founder Bink Bowler arrived in Christchurch with a vision to build a new kind of coffee shop for a new city. Joined by his brother Luke Bowler and Reuben Thorne — Canterbury's celebrated rugby figure — the first Black & White Coffee Cartel opened in February 2015 at 83 Victoria St, immediately becoming a fixture in the emerging café culture of post-quake Christchurch.
The core idea was straightforward and deliberately against convention: bring the personality and charm of the independent, funky coffee shop to the masses via a franchise model. Music is louder, service is personal, the food varies by location, the walls are brighter, the furniture is eclectic, and the baristas are described as creative and approachable. From the outset, the philosophy rejected the cookie-cutter franchise template.
Black & White became New Zealand's first micro-roasting coffee franchise. Rather than operating a centralised roastery that supplies stores remotely, every full café has its own onsite roaster. The coffee served in each store is roasted in that store, in full view of guests — small batch, fresh, and traceable from raw bean to cup. The house blend, known as the Cartel Boss or Boss Blend, is a medium roast made from two origins: Brazil Cerrado, a natural process coffee with soft, sweet fruit notes and a nutty finish, and Honduras La Flor, a washed coffee with heavy cocoa notes and pronounced acidity. Together they produce what the brand describes as a juicy, full and rounded personality.
The café menu is Western-style, with food prepared onsite. An all-day brunch menu varies store to store and includes classics such as a bacon benny and the BOSS breakfast. Cabinet food covers both sweet options — caramel slices, friands, bliss balls, muffins, scones, cheesecakes, brownies — and savoury choices including pies, sandwiches, filos, wraps, sausage rolls, croissants, and vegetable frittata. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, and keto options are available in most stores. Hot chocolate and a range of premium cold beverages are offered alongside the coffee, and free fluffy's are available for kids. Boss Blend beans can also be purchased online in 200g and 1kg bags across whole bean, plunger, and espresso grinds. Franchise opportunities are available through the Black & White Systems franchise division.
Black & White Coffee Cartel has one of the more distinctive origin stories in New Zealand hospitality. The business was born from the rubble and renewal of post-earthquake Christchurch. After the 2011 earthquake flattened large parts of the city, a rebuilding effort unfolded over years — and in 2014, founder Bink Bowler arrived in Christchurch with a vision to build a new kind of coffee shop for a new city. He was joined by his brother Luke Bowler and Reuben Thorne, the Canterbury rugby figure, and together they set about constructing the first Black & White Coffee Cartel.
The first store opened in February 2015 at 83 Victoria St in the city centre. It opened, in the brand's own words, "loud and proud" — and immediately became iconic within the emerging café culture of post-quake Christchurch. It was among the first of the notable new cafés to open in the rebuilt city, and it helped establish a new standard for what a café in Christchurch could be.
The idea behind Black & White was deliberately contrary to how coffee franchises had typically operated in New Zealand. Rather than running a centralised roastery to supply all stores, the founders built what became New Zealand's first micro-roasting coffee franchise: each full café has its own onsite roaster, and the coffee served in-store is roasted in-store, in full view of guests. Raw beans arrive, get roasted on the premises in small batches, and end up in the cup — under one roof.
The benefits are tangible. Small batch roasting cuts out the supply chain middleman, produces a higher quality result in the cup, and creates a genuinely different guest experience. The approach isn't new to Europe, but Black & White brought it to New Zealand's franchise model for the first time.
The house blend is called the Cartel Boss — or Boss Blend — a medium roast made from just two origins: Brazil Cerrado and Honduras La Flor. One is a natural process bean, one is washed. Brazil Cerrado brings soft, sweet fruit notes with a characteristic nutty finish. Honduras La Flor contributes heavy cocoa notes and pronounced acidity. Together they produce what the brand describes as a juicy, full, and rounded personality in the cup.
Beyond the coffee, the philosophy was to bring the charm of the independent, funky coffee shop to the masses via a franchise. Each store has its own personality — louder music, personal service, eclectic furniture from different eras, bright walls, and food that varies by location. The baristas are described as creative and approachable. There is no cookie-cutter template.
The menu covers Western-style café food with something for most people. Drinks include the signature Boss Blend coffee in espresso-based forms, hot chocolate, premium cold beverages, and free fluffy's for kids. An all-day brunch menu varies store to store but generally includes classics such as a bacon benny and the BOSS breakfast. Cabinet food covers sweet options — caramel slices, friands, bliss balls, muffins, scones, cheesecakes, and brownies — alongside savoury choices including pies, sandwiches, filos, wraps, sausage rolls, croissants, and vegetable frittata. Most stores offer gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, and keto options, and much of the food is prepared onsite.
Franchise opportunities are available through Black & White Systems, the franchise division co-founded with Alan and Raphael. Franchise partners are called Cartel Bosses. The Boss Blend coffee beans are also available to purchase online in 200g and 1kg bags across whole bean, plunger, and espresso grinds.