The valorization of coffee cherry waste through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) was investigated in a 500 mL batch reactor at 180°C for 1 hour. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of various organic and inorganic acid catalysts, including acetic acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, adipic acid, butyric acid, anthranilic acid, propanoic acid, 4-aminobenzoic acid, and succin ic acid, all used at a concentration of 0.02 M. The target platform chemicals were sugars, HMF (5-hydroxymethylfurfural), furfural, levulinic acid, and formic acid. The results showed that sulfuric acid and adipic acid were the most effective catalysts, each resulting in a remarkable 20%wt increase in total yield. Interestingly, the two best-yielding acids were not of the same nature, proving that organic acids can also be used as effective catalysts in HTC. Other catalysts, such as benzoic acid and phenylacetic acid, also demonstrated a 10%wt increase in yield, while acetic acid, phosphoric acid, and nitric acid provided modest improvements. Conversely, butyric acid significantly decreased the total yield. The most abundantly produced platform chemicals were sugars, followed by formic acid, levulinic acid, HMF, and furfural. These findings highlight the potential of a method for using coffee cherry waste as a valuable resource for producing key chemicals and the viability of hydrothermal carbonization as a sustainable approach for biomass valorization. The study emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate catalysts to optimize the method’s conversion process and maximize the extraction of valuable chemicals from coffee cherry waste.