Our recurring round-up of the latest specialty-coffee industry news.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Featured image by Joshua Earle
Grounds for Health Auction: Hacienda La Esmeralda Headlines Lineup of Green Coffee and Equipment
On September 18, 2025, Grounds for Health will host a green coffee and equipment auction to fund healthcare for women in coffee-producing countries. Roasters will have the chance to bid on coffees donated by renowned producers and importers, and for the first time since 2020, Hacienda La Esmeralda will be back up for auction with three micro lots of its Special Geisha Washed Guabo. To learn more, visit www.gfhauction.org.
Caffe Ladro Partners with Deaf Spotlight for “Coffee for Good” Campaign
Caffe Ladro has announced they’ll be collaborating with Deaf Spotlight for their Coffee for Good series this fall. Throughout the months of September and October, $3 from every bag of their Coffee For Good blend sold will go directly to Deaf Spotlight, supporting their mission to uplift Deaf voices and expand access to the arts. To learn more, visit www.caffeladro.com.
Limited-Edition Release from Onyx Coffee Lab Will Raise Funds to Fight AIDS
Award-winning roaster Onyx Coffee Lab has partnered with (RED), an organization dedicated to fighting AIDS, in the release of a limited-edition box of coffee: (ONYX)RED. With every box of (ONYX)RED sold, 7.5% of the net profits will support (RED)’s efforts to bring life-saving healthcare programs to communities in Africa.
“This partnership with (RED) will see us support their work to fund so many extraordinary, life-saving programs in regions that grow the coffees we love,” says Jon Allen, co-founder of Onyx.
Wonderstate Coffee Launches Profit-Sharing Program
Wonderstate Coffee has launched a unique profit-sharing program that redistributes 10% of company profits to non-leadership employees, including café workers and roastery staff. The roastery shares that last year’s payout totaled $41,520, allocated based on hours worked.
“Leadership is intentionally excluded from the program to ensure the focus remains on the team members who are at the heart of the company’s day-to-day operations,” the Wonderstate team shared with Barista Magazine. “This model of inclusive profit sharing is rare in the specialty-coffee world—and it’s already having an impact. It reinforces Wonderstate’s long-standing commitment to equity, transparency, and building a people-first business.”
Howard Buffett, Warren Buffett’s Son, Fights Cocaine Trade in Colombia with $170 Million Initiative
Howard Buffett, the 70-year-old son of well-known investor Warren Buffett, is leading an initiative in Colombia to stop the farming of coca (the crop used to make cocaine) and divert farming to legal crops, including coffee. So far, the initiative has led more than 3,200 farming families to uproot coca plants and begin growing other crops. MSN shares more on the story here.
Los Angeles’ Underground Coffee Scene is Booming
L.A.’s underground coffee scene—complete with omakases, speakeasies, pop-ups, cuppings, throwdowns, and more—is thriving. Well-known coffee competitors have been regularly popping up at busy L.A. bars; 2025 U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Champion, Jerry Truong, for example, recently guest-bartended at cocktail bars Night on Earth and Johnny’s Bar. The Los Angeles Times shares more on the story here.
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