#coffee-industry

#coffee-industry

Eloquent, affable and self-effacing, James was well-respected by industry colleagues for his phenomenal palate and beloved for his exceptional ability to wax poetically about each cup's artisanal heritage and distinctive flavor profile. His influence on the Southern California coffee scene is undeniable.

The case may have broad impact on product marketing strategies in the U.S. coffee industry, which relies on imports of green coffee from high-elevation countries within the tropics. In a complaint filed Nov. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, California resident Justin Bakker and New York resident Noah Lundgren accuse Black Rifle Coffee Company LLC and parent company, BRC Inc., of deceptive "Made in USA" advertising.

FreshBrew - which runs six 500-pound Probat machines at its plant in Houston - said it "will secure ownership of multiple licenses, enabling the company to develop, produce and market coffee for major brands with established market presence." The company said the deal will complement its existing private-label business, expanding operations to produce approximately 150,000 pounds of coffee per day. The company also offers a broad range of packaging, tea, extracts and cold brewing solutions, in part through its recent $10 million manufacturing expansion.

California-based Gaviña Coffee Company announced that two of its longtime leaders - brothers Pedro Lázaro Gaviña and Francisco Marcos "Paco" Gaviña - have died. Paco died July 29 at the age of 81. Pedro died Sept. 11 at the age of 80. Representing the third generation of the Gaviña business, which traces its roots back to Cuba, the brothers were instrumental in building the company into a national coffee supplier while maintaining close ties to the industry through volunteerism and events.

Four Starbucks locations in San Jose have closed, following the company announcing it would shutter 1% of its stores across North America. Two other locations in Mountain View and one each in Cupertino, Santa Clara and Milpitas have also closed. The company laid off 900 corporate, non-retail employees and has 18,300 stores left across the U.S. and Canada. It's unclear how many retail workers have been affected by the closures.

Swiss food giant Nestle appointed Alfonso Gonzalez Loeschen as the next global chief executive of Nespresso, effective Nov. 1, 2025. Gonzalez Loeschen, currently CEO of Nespresso North America, will also join Nestle's Executive Board. He succeeds Philipp Navratil, who earlier this month was elevated to CEO of Nestle global after the company fired former CEO Laurent Freixe, citing a relationship with a subordinate.

Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) has appointed Olivier Lemire as president of its U.S. coffee business, according to an SEC filing signed Sept. 17, 2025. The move comes amid Keurig Dr Pepper's $18 billion acquisition of Europe-based coffee conglomerate JDE Peet's, announced last month. That plan will involve the creation of two publicly traded companies, including one focused entirely on the coffee category called Global Coffee Co.

Regenerative agriculture has become one of coffee industry's buzziest words of the decade, despite having no clear, universal definition in coffee or other sectors. While it is primarily associated with environmental stewardship - including soil regeneration and biodiversity - it has also become associated with climate resiliency, farmer profitability and even more abstract concepts such as corporate sustainability. GCP, meanwhile, says the RegenCoffee guidance is designed to help

The annual Grounds for Health green coffee and equipment auction returns Thursday, Sept. 18, giving roasters an opportunity to buy special, traceable coffees while supporting the noble cause of women's health. With 100% of proceeds going to United States-based nonprofit Grounds for Health's programs - which includes cervical cancer screening and prevention in coffee-growing communities - the auction program has raised more than $1 million since 2009.

Black Rock Coffee Bar has confidentially filed for an initial public offering in New York, targeting a valuation exceeding $1 billion. This will mark the first IPO from a U.S. coffee company since 2022.

Philz Coffee is selling its business to private equity firm Freeman Spogli & Co. for $145 million, resulting in the cancelation of common stock held by employees.

"Sovda sprang onto the U.S. equipment scene in 2018 with the launch of the Pearl Mini Sorter, a coffee sorting machine for small- or medium-sized roasteries."

The facility now has storage capacity for approximately 1 million coffee bags and the ability to process and handle more than 2.5 million bags annually - doubling its previous processing capacity and increasing shipping capabilities by approximately 50%.