Our recurring round-up of the latest specialty-coffee industry news.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Featured image by Joshua Earle
Cafe Imports Announces Transition to 100% Employee Ownership
Early last week, green coffee importer Cafe Imports announced that they’ve transitioned to 100% employee ownership through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)—an employer-sponsored retirement plan that holds company shares for employees, which are paid out once the employee leaves or retires.
Operating since 1993, Cafe Imports attained B Corporation certification in 2023, and the company shares that their transition to employee ownership is reflective of their mission to sustain long-term relationships in the coffee world. “(Becoming employee-owned) gives us a way to keep moving forward as the Cafe Imports that got us here in the first place: independent, curious, progressive, and full of people who care deeply about specialty coffee and the communities around it,” the company wrote in the announcement.
International Coffee Organization Unveils New Coffee Market Intelligence Platform
The International Coffee Organization (ICO) unveiled their interactive data platform, the Coffee Market Intelligence Platform, at the 142nd Session of the International Coffee Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 30. The free platform grants users access to an expanse of market data, including information about global production and consumption, arabica and robusta futures prices, and more.
“When stakeholders work from a shared and credible evidence base, they can make better decisions about production, investment, trade, risk management and sustainability,” said ICO Executive Director Vanúsia Nogueira in the announcement.
The Verdict is in on New Zealand Cafe’s $100 Cup of Coffee
Coffee connoisseurs are lining up to try Rook Cafe‘s $100 cup of coffee, which is sourced from Mt. Totumas in Panama. The coffee earned a score of 96.2 out of 100, making it an “ultra-premium” variety. Last week, the Churchchrist, New Zealand-based café reported selling several cups, with buyers describing it as a rare and enjoyable experience.
“It’s got really nice citrus-like acidity. It’s very floral and very, very sweet. It’s just a very high-quality, very clear cup of coffee,” Rook co-owner Kyle Cabangun shared with New Zealand’s 1 News. Read the full story here.
Amid Cost Cuts, Starbucks Pulls Back from Environmental Commitments
The Financial Times reports that, in a plan to cut $2 billion USD worth of costs, coffee shop chain Starbucks is pulling back on some previously made environmental goals. In 2020, then chief executive Kevin Johnson wrote in a public letter on the Starbucks website of the company’s commitment to sustainability. The letter has since been removed from the website. Read the full story here.
Data Shows That Coffee is America’s Most Consumed Beverage
The National Coffee Association (NCA)’s 2026 National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) Fall Report reveals that coffee is the most consumed beverage in the U.S., consumed by more adults daily than even tap or bottled water. The association found that over 66% of American adults consumed coffee in the past day, with the majority of coffee drinkers (83%) making their coffee at home. Read the full story here.
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