Happy soon-to-be holidays.
The coffee world has been busy as the aroma of holiday spices mingles with your morning brew. November brought historic price peaks, viral coffee maker mishaps, and some notable industry shakeups. Here's what's been brewing this past month.
Funny
A Cuban woman goes viral after mistaking a toy coffee maker for the real deal. A Cuban woman living in the U.S. unintentionally turned a Macy's sale into a viral moment when she purchased what she thought was a bargain coffee maker, only to discover it was a toy. TikTok user @caridadlarosa shared the comical mishap in a video that quickly gained a lot of views.
Source: Cibercuba
Industry
Coffee Futures Hit 47-Year Peak as Brazil's Supply Crunch Intensifies. Arabica coffee touched $3.3545 per pound Friday - a high not seen since 1977 - before settling at $3.1805. The 71% price surge this year stems from Brazil's persistent drought impacts and farmers withholding deliveries in hopes of higher returns. Major traders Atlantica and Cafebras entered creditor talks after failing to receive 900,000 promised coffee bags, while robusta coffee used in instant varieties also reached a 47-year record at $5,694 per metric ton.
Coffee Holding's stock has seen a 78% increase over the past three months. This has led to questions about its ability to maintain this growth trajectory. One critical measure, Return on Equity (ROE), shows a need for a closer look at the factors driving the stock’s recent performance and whether they align with sustainable growth fundamentals.
Source: Yahoo Finance
Starbucks Corp. has trimmed its U.S. retail workforce by 8%. This happened despite the coffee giant continuing to open new locations. The majority of the reduction occurred within the café workforce, which fell from 219,000 to 201,000 employees, reflecting an 8% decline. This workforce adjustment comes as Starbucks balances operational efficiency with its ongoing expansion strategy.
Source: Bloomberg
McDonald’s has temporarily pulled espresso-based beverages like lattes and cappuccinos from menus in select locations, due to a safety issue with the coffee machines supplied by Melitta. The decision follows a warning from Melitta about a faulty component that could allow steam to escape, potentially damaging the machines. The fast-food giant announced it is working closely with Melitta to investigate the issue and ensure a resolution. While the scope of the problem remains under review, McDonald’s has decommissioned the affected machines as a precaution.
NEXE Innovations expands to the U.S. coffee pod market with EKOCUPS partnership. The collaboration marks a significant milestone, enabling NEXE to introduce its compostable coffee pods to a high-volume online retailer with a strong presence on Amazon. According to NEXE President Ash Guglani, the partnership aligns with the company’s commitment to sustainability and market growth. EKOCUPS’ advanced online algorithms and private-label strategy make it an ideal fit for NEXE’s compostable capsule technology. The company is starting with five coffee flavors and is already developing additional SKUs, signaling further growth potential in both the U.S. and Canadian markets.
Source: Proactive Investors
Milestone
Cumulus Coffee, an innovative cold coffee company, has officially debuted its premium brewing technology at flagship Williams Sonoma stores. The partnership introduces consumers to a groundbreaking machine for brewing cold brew, nitro cold brew, and cold espresso at home in seconds. Priced at $695, the Cumulus Coffee machine is available in two elegant colorways, Carbon and Cream, and comes with 12 recyclable aluminum capsules featuring premium Arabica coffee roasted for cold brewing. Customers can also purchase an exclusive 40-pack of capsules for $99.
Source: PR Newswire
Fort Wayne-based “Utopian Coffee” has earned Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) for its Union and Obsidian coffee blends. This notable achievement makes Utopian one of the first specialty coffee roasters in the Midwest to achieve this distinction. Utopian was also named a finalist for the prestigious 2025 Roaster of the Year Award by Roast Magazine, further solidifying its reputation in the specialty coffee industry.
Source: Business Weekly
Trade
The Chinese coffee giant “Luckin Coffee” has signed a landmark agreement to purchase 240,000 tons of green coffee from Brazil between 2025 and 2029. The agreement comes as Luckin Coffee rapidly expands its stores in the third quarter of 2024 to reach approximately 22,000 locations in China. Luckin Coffee has announced plans to enter the U.S. market.
Source: Daily Coffee News
Author
I'm a mom of two boys and a freelance writer who loves to travel and spend time at the beach. When I'm not chasing after my kids or working on my next writing project, you can usually find me sipping on a delicious cup of coffee while reading a book. I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting coffee shops, whenever I am exploring a new town or city.