Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the week.
Editor’s note
Keurig Dr Pepper is selling its 5.9% stake in Chobani for US$800m, alongside an Allentown plant and warehouse worth roughly US$125m. KDP CEO Tim Cofer frames the move as debt reduction ahead of the company’s split into two separate businesses, Beverage Co. and Global Coffee Co., following its acquisition of JDE Peet’s.
KDP expanded into premium coffee through the La Colombe deal in 2023, which converted into a Chobani stake when Chobani bought La Colombe that December. What started as a long-term strategic bet is unwinding in under three years, as KDP resets its balance sheet priorities.
Robusta’s reputation is under similar scrutiny. Aaron Davis of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, calls the plant’s supposed climate resilience an “internet myth”. His research found robusta drought-intolerant, with major growing regions in Vietnam, Brazil, and India already outside its ideal range and propped up by heavy irrigation. Heat tolerance alone, the study concludes, won’t save robusta as water grows scarcer.
Both stories share a common theme: the industry’s working assumptions need testing.
Top stories of the week
- Mon, 31 Aug – Robusta’s climate resilience might be a myth, according to new study. Research conducted by Akshay Dashrath, Justin Moat, and Aaron P. Davis challenges the widely held view that robusta is a naturally climate-resilient alternative to arabica. The study finds that major robusta-growing regions in Brazil, Vietnam, and India often lack the climatic conditions the crop actually needs, and rely heavily on irrigation to stay productive. They argue that the coffee industry needs broader structural change rather than simply substituting robusta for arabica, since water scarcity is likely to be the bigger constraint as the climate shifts. (London, UK)
- Mon, 31 Aug – Phillippe “Akira” Kato Wins US AeroPress Championship. Phillippe “Akira” Kato of Boston’s Newberry Street Coffee won the competition, hosted by Atomic Coffee Roasters at Studio B in Boston. He will represent the US at the World AeroPress Championship in Mexico City on 6 December. (Boston, Massachusetts, US)
- Tue, 1 Sep – April Coffee Roaster’s Kickstarter for new grinder fully funded in four hours. The Danish roaster worked with Timemore to develop its first grinder, the only one in the world engineered specifically for the April Brewing System. Founder Patrik Rolf says the grinder’s 48mm conical burr set is fine-tuned to match the flow characteristics of April’s flat bed brewers, completing the April Brewing System. The Kickstarter campaign ends 1 October 2026. (Copenhagen, Denmark)
- Tue, 1 Sep – EUDR will push coffee businesses outside of the EU to comply with new regulations. Although the EU accounts for roughly 10% of global deforestation-linked imports, companies supplying it handle nearly 80% of global coffee shipments, according to research from Trase. The non-profit says that for many coffee-producing and exporting businesses, it will be less costly to extend EUDR compliance across all supply chains than to run separate systems. (London, UK)
- Wed, 2 Sep – Faema to host I’m a Barista Journey featuring Jack Simpson on 14 September in Barcelona. The 2025 World Barista Champion and Faema Global Brand Ambassador Jack Simpson will take part in a panel and Q&A, moderated by PDG Español, with additional guest speakers from across the coffee industry. The event combines expert discussions, technical tasting sessions, networking opportunities, a guided espresso tasting experience, and an Oatly Throwdown. (Barcelona, Spain)
- Thu, 3 Sep – Paulig to create standalone Coffee business division. The Finnish company currently operates under two business areas, Branded and Customer. Once the change takes effect, it will restructure into three: Branded Foods, Customer Brands, and Coffee. CEO Rolf Ladau says the shift will help the company adapt to today’s food and beverage market. (Helsinki, Finland)
- Fri, 4 Sep – MTPak Coffee to host Coffee Packaging Design Trends in 2026 webinar on 23 September. Guest speakers Coaltown Coffee Roasters, Variety Coffee Roasters, and Untold Coffee Lab will share insight into which design styles, finishes, formats, and visual approaches are trending in specialty coffee. The webinar will also explore how changing expectations around sustainability, convenience, functionality, and brand identity are influencing packaging decisions.
Industry news
- Tue, 1 Sep – Group of NBA players invests in US-based RTD coffee brand, Beekeeper Coffee. The RTD brand received funding from NBA players, including Draymond Green and Anthony Davis, as well as Klutch Sports Group CEO, Rich Paul, golfer Min Woo Lee, entrepreneur Matthew Pritzker, and NFL player Jared Goff. Funding will support retail expansion, product development, and marketing strategies. (Portland, Oregon, US)
- Tue, 1 Sep – Tchibo achieves 11% YoY growth but reports increased consumer price sensitivity. The German coffee roaster and retailer reported an annual revenue of €3.7bn ($4.3bn). While revenue grew, profitability came under pressure, with Tchibo reporting an EBIT of €162m (US$188.3m), down from €167m (US$194.11m) the previous year, largely attributed to coffee tax. (Hamburg, Germany)
- Wed, 2 Sep – Luckin Coffee approves the upsizing of ongoing share repurchase programme. Luckin Coffee expands its ongoing share repurchase program, originally launched in April 2026. Luckin was approved to purchase US$300m of its Class A ordinary shares. As of 31 Aug 2026, Luckin has repurchased 71.6 million shares for a total consideration of US$287.2m under the programme. (Xiamen, China)
Businesses for sale
- Mon, 31 Aug – 7 Brew outbids Dutch Bros for Salad and Go. Drive-thru chain 7 Brew won a bankruptcy auction for around 65 defunct Salad and Go locations. Dutch Bros declined to increase its original bid of US$105m. (Springdale, Arkansas, US)
- Fri, 4 Sep – Shoprite acquires 400-store coffee chain Vida e Caffè. South Africa’s biggest retailer agreed to buy 100% of the 25-year-old South African coffee chain, which recently opened its 400th store. The acquisition is expected to boost Shoprite’s future growth and customer engagement. (Cape Town, South Africa)
New launch
- Mon, 31 Aug – Pumpkin spice returns to Starbucks. The chain launched its fall menu including the iconic Pumpkin Spiced beverages and Iced Apple Crumble Matcha Latte across several regions globally. (Seattle, Washington, US)
- Tue, 1 Sep – Ole & Steen launches its first-ever cookbook. The Danish baker’s new release features 45 recipes including bakery favorites like cardamom buns, cinnamon socials, and Danish sausage rolls, alongside more traditional recipes inspired by the brand’s heritage. (Copenhagen, Denmark)
- Fri, 4 Sep – Miir launches its first-ever ceramic collection. The first offerings in the collection include three mugs, each handcrafted and high-fired. The collection will be available from 29 September 2026. (Seattle, Washington, US)
Trade & production
- Wed, 2 Sep – Supply concerns and market dynamics powered the July coffee price rally, reports ICO. The ICO July 2026 Green Coffee Report reports that the ICO Composite Price Indicator averaged 287.26 US cents/lb, a 15.4% increase from June 2026. Global green coffee exports were up 0.8% in June 2026, compared to June 2025, while global exports of all forms of coffee were up 0.3%. Overall, July was marked by exceptionally large daily price movements. (London, UK)
Research
- Tue, 1 Sep – Digital soil mapping of soil organic carbon in smallholder robusta coffee in South-Central Uganda. A new study characterises soil organic carbon (SOC) variability, comparing four machine learning algorithms to identify the main predictive environmental covariates and generating SOC prediction maps for smallholder robusta coffee production in south-central Uganda. Reliable spatial information on SOC is important for soil-fertility management, climate-resilient coffee production, and land-restoration planning. (Kampala, Uganda)
Events & competitions
- Wed, 2 Sep – Singapore Coffee Week to be held from 5-8 November 2026. The celebration brings together coffee brands, cafés, roasters, equipment providers, industry professionals, and coffee enthusiasts for four days of exhibitions, workshops, competitions, experiences, and community activities. (Singapore)
- Wed, 2 Sep – Turkey to host the Istanbul and the Ankara coffee festivals in September. September 2026 gives specialty coffee community, coffee enthusiasts and brands a chance to experience the unique coffee culture of Turkey with two coffee festivals in Istanbul from 10 to 13 September and in Ankarra from 25 to 27 September. (Istanbul, Turkey)
Photo credits: April Coffee Roasters, The Barista League
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