Tchibo was founded in 1949 in Hamburg by Carl Tchilinghiryan and Max Herz, and still maintains its headquarters in the north of the city. The name Tchibo is an abbreviation for Tchilling and Bohnen (beans, i.e. coffee beans). During its formative years, Tchibo concentrated on a mail-order service of freshly roasted coffee beans, processed in the company's own roasting facility in the Hamburg district of Hoheluft.