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Photo courtesy of Onyx Coffee Lab.
Jimmy Butler Partners With Onyx Coffee Lab for Coffee Collab
NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler’s coffee and lifestyle brand Bigface has teamed up with Onyx Coffee Lab of Arkansas on a specialty coffee product. The BIGFACE x ONYX collaboration includes a mug alongside a Gesha coffee produced at La Palma y El Tucán in Colombia.
Roberto Vélez Stepping Down as CEO of FNC
Roberto Vélez is stepping down from his role as CEO of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC). Vélez was appointed to the organization’s top position in 2015 and presented historic results at a recent congress. The National Congress of Coffee Growers will select a successor in the coming months.
Early-Bird Tickets for London Coffee Festival On Sale
The London Coffee Festival will be held at the Truman Brewery on April 20-23, and early-bird tickets are now on sale. The event features more than 250 coffee and food stalls, as well as workshops, tastings and art exhibitions.
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii Announces 10-Unit Agreement in Texas
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii has announced the signing of a 10-unit agreement in Houston and Galveston with RPC Ventures, led by Kyle Price and Heath Rushing, executives in a Houston hospital system. Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii is growing in Texas, with a North Dallas location set to open in 2023 and more Dallas locations on the way. The chain also recently signed a 20-unit deal for new shops in the Florida Gulf Coast region.
Ezra Coffee Expands to H-E-B, Target.com
Texas-based Ezra Coffee is now available in more than 40 H-E-B locations and at Target.com. The specialty coffee brand is founded by Jessica Taylor, and each of the brand’s blends is inspired by African American and BIPOC figures, culture and history.
Torani Announces 2023 Flavor of the Year
Flavor company Torani has announced Toasted Black Sesame as its 2023 Pourcast Flavor of the Year. The flavor is now part of the brand’s collection of more than 150 syrups and sauces. Last year’s chosen flavor was Salted Egg Yolk.
Coffee Technicians Guild Announces New Leadership Council Members
The Coffee Technicians Guild has announced the names of five professionals who will be joining its leadership council. The new members are Shad Baiz, Philipp Mayr, Nate Hull, Brady Butler and Anastasia Chovan. The CTG is a guild of the Specialty Coffee Association. Its 2022 summit took place in November in Italy.
Marie Franklin Promoted to Senior VP of Sales and Marketing at NuZee
Marie Franklin has been promoted to senior vice president of sales and marketing at NuZee Inc. Franklin’s work with the single-serve coffee producer and co-packer follows other roles in the industry, including being the development director for Caffè Umbria.
Registration for USCC Qualifier 1 Now Open
Registration for the U.S. Coffee Championships Qualifier 1 in Baltimore is now open. Competitions will take place Jan. 28-29. There will be two qualifiers ahead of the national competition. Dates and location for the second one are yet to be announced, but it will take place in the U.S. “mountain region.”
Global Coffee Consumption Likely to Climb Only 1 or 2%, ICO Says
International Coffee Organization Executive Director Vanúsia Nogueira said the group has revised its prediction for long-term global coffee demand downward, according to a recent Bloomberg report (paywall). The group is also taking a more conservative view on short-term demand.
PJ’s Coffee Recruits Student-Athletes for NIL Partnerships
New Orleans-based coffee brand PJ’s Coffee has added four student-athletes to its “Active Roster,” RestaurantNews.com reports. The students — Sierra Ballard and Latanna Stone of LSU, Messiah Bright of TCU and Karleen Bedre of the University of Louisiana — will use their social media platforms to share information about PJ’s Coffee menu items.
In Case You Missed It
Here are some of DCN’s top stories from the past week…
Daily Coffee News photo by Howard Bryman.
What is WDT in Espresso? We Talked to Its Creator, John Weiss
Along with the recent boom in home espresso preparation has come an associated flood of accessories to support the craft, including many variations of something called a WDT tool. WDT stands for Weiss Distribution Technique, an espresso preparation technique attributed to retired computer scientist and biochemistry PhD John Weiss… Read more
Coffee May Reduce Hip Fractures in Women, Says New Study
Drinking coffee may reduce hip fractures in middle-aged and older women, according to a large new observational study in the UK. The coffee-fueled dip in hip fracture incidence among the 26,000+ women studied was described by the authors as a surprise… Read more
Former D.C.-Area Coffee Shop Owner Guilty in Credit Card and Identify Theft Scheme
The former owner of Washington D.C.-area specialty coffee shop Caffe Aficionado has been convicted on multiple charges from a multi-year identity theft and credit card fraud scheme… Read more
Sovda Launches the Precision Fill Mini Bagging Coffee Machine
Oregon-based coffee production equipment maker Sovda has unveiled the Precision Fill Mini, a compact weigh-and-fill bagging machine that is approximately half the size of the original Sovda Precision Fill… Read more
Under-Counter From Down Under: Coffee Machine Technologies Readies New Espresso System
Australian coffee equipment service and distribution company Coffee Machine Technologies has unveiled a literal new direction for its house-designed under-counter commercial espresso systems. First seen in September at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), the new cantilever design… Read more
NCBA CLUSA to Lead $15 Million Climate-Smart Coffee Program in Puerto Rico
Part of an unprecedented federal investment into climate-focused activities in the agriculture sector of the United States and its territories, a $15 million project focused on coffee production in Puerto Rico is expected to launch next year… Read more
ASEAN Coffee Federation Releases the ASEAN Flavour Sphere
The ASEAN Coffee Federation (ACF) has launched the “ASEAN Flavour Sphere,” a visual tool for use during coffee cupping that is designed to reflect and promote Southeast Asian coffees. The Flavour Sphere is an obvious counterpoint to the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel… Read more
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