Like many great stories, Kalve Coffee Roasters began in a garage in 2017, when two coffee lovers decided it was time to do things differently – to prove that great coffee could be produced responsibly, built on transparency, accessibility, and long-term purpose.

From the start, the duo defined the values that would guide everything they did: honesty, open-mindedness, a quality-oriented approach, and sustainability. These weren’t just words on a wall – they became the framework for how Kalve sources, roasts, and serves its coffee.

Kalve’s mission has always gone beyond profit – to create a positive imprint through every action and leave an emotionally fulfilling legacy for future generations. By combining conscience with craftsmanship, Kalve has proven that it’s possible to grow sustainably while driving change in the coffee industry.

Today, Kalve stands as the first company in Latvia to earn the prestigious B Corp certification – a testament to its commitment to doing business the right way.

Their dedication to quality is upheld by an exceptionally skilled team.

I’d say we’re the most qualified team in the Baltics. Our Co-Founder, Raimonds Selga, is a world-renowned coffee judge. He travels around the world to judge competitions rather than compete in them.

– Nauris Sauka, Head of Ecommerce, Kalve

Two members of Kalve, including Selga, are certified Q Arabica Graders – experts licensed to objectively assess and evaluate coffee quality. It’s further proof of the team’s deep expertise and commitment to excellence.

Since officially launching their B2B, B2C, and ecommerce segments in 2019, Kalve has grown to 108 team members across Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and France, with a monthly production capacity of 60,000 kg. Their successful IPO in December 2024 reflected both the company’s rapid growth and its commitment to transparency.

As Kalve evolved from a small roaster to a regional leader, its digital experience needed to match the warmth and trust of its cafés.

The challenge

Kalve needed a solution that would be invisible, fast, and uphold their commitment to transparency and accessibility.

For Kalve, ecommerce isn’t just a sales channel – it’s a digital version of their in-store hospitality. The online experience had to be seamless, trustworthy, and simple. Unfortunately, their existing payment provider was anything but.

The checkout became the biggest point of friction, involving multiple steps and several phone approvals. This complicated process was destroying the customer journey. Even Kalve’s own team found it exhausting once they tried ordering themselves. This moment made it clear why so many customers were dropping off. Before switching, bank payments were barely used, a clear indicator of abandonment.

The problem was compounded by the previous provider's aggressive branding. The constant appearance of a third-party logo broke the sense of trust and made customers feel like they were leaving the Kalve website. For a brand built on transparency, this disconnect at checkout felt especially damaging.

You lose trust, and it doesn’t create a cohesive experience from start to finish.

– Nauris

Kalve needed a solution that would be invisible, fast, and true to their values – one that could restore trust at the most critical moment: checkout.

The solution

The search for a better solution brought Kalve to Montonio through a shared connection. The team was immediately receptive to the promise of a simplified, transparent checkout experience, so they decided to implement Montonio’s Shopify integration.

The partnership felt natural – both companies share a belief in transparency, honesty, and removing unnecessary friction.

The key factor for Kalve was Montonio’s commitment to creating an invisible payment process. Unlike previous providers that cluttered the experience with their own branding, Montonio’s solution integrates directly into the store, preserving the feeling that customers are still within Kalve’s trusted environment.

The good thing about you is that there’s no Montonio branding anywhere. People feel like it’s just part of our website.

‍– Nauris

Implementation was smooth and straightforward. Now, customers simply select their bank and go straight to payment – no app switching, no repeated approvals. The five-step maze was gone, and the barrier to a great customer experience disappeared.

The results

The shift to Montonio delivered immediate results, proving the impact of a truly seamless customer experience. The confusing, multi-step process was replaced with a flow that was simple, fast, and required virtually no extra effort from the customer.

Before implementing Montonio, bank-link payments were rare – monthly orders via bank links could be counted on two hands. After launch, that volume jumped more than 15x, as the new flow removed the friction coming with extra steps, approvals, and app switching.

Your solution just gets straight to the point. You choose the bank you want to pay with, and you’re already in. The five or more steps with our previous provider were too much.

‍– Nauris

By integrating Montonio, Kalve ensured the digital checkout matched the quality and accessibility of their physical stores. They restored customer trust by making the payment process clear and simple, turning a significant drop-off point into a key driver of growth.

Looking ahead

With the checkout now optimised, Kalve is turning its focus to its next big goal – European expansion. Building on its strong foundation across the Baltics, the company is preparing to bring its concept to new markets, beginning with plans to open coffee shops in other parts of Europe while growing its ecommerce presence in parallel.

Kalve sees Montonio as a trusted partner in that journey – one that supports its growth by keeping the online experience consistent and reliable across markets. As Kalve enters new regions, offering localised, familiar payment options will help maintain the same sense of trust customers already associate with the brand.

If we can grow together and offer this same kind of solution in more European countries, that would be amazing.

– Nauris

Beyond geographic growth, Kalve also plans to expand its product line to include higher-value items such as domestic coffee machines and grinders. This will open the door to leveraging Montonio’s flexible Pay Later options, giving customers greater financial accessibility for bigger purchases.

By proving that a business built on honesty and strong values can grow exponentially, Kalve is reshaping how the coffee industry connects with its customers – one transaction at a time.