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Weekly Coffee News: EUDR and Africa + More Celebrity Coffee

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Report: Small-Scale Farmers in Africa Concerned About EUDR

African smallholder coffee farmers are already facing income uncertainty due to the European Union’s (EU) new anti-deforestation legislation (EUDR), according to a new report from the German broadcast network DW. Farmers in Ethiopia’s Sidama region have reported a decrease in orders and expressed concerns over the EU companies’ avoidance of their products.

Philz Coffee Faces Class Action Suit Over Gluten-Free Sales

Bay Area coffee chain Philz Coffee is facing a class-action lawsuit for allegedly misbranding and falsely advertising gluten-free products that may have contained gluten, according to an SF Gate report. Philz has not yet publicly commented on the suit.

Robert Downey Jr. Launches Happy Coffee Company

Actor Robert Downey Jr. and self-described serial entrepreneur in the “personal care” industry Craig Dubitsky have launched Happy Coffee Company. The Happy Coffee brand is currently selling blends featuring Rainforest Alliance-certified coffees. Details of the roasting and sourcing operations have not been made public.

Salt Lake City Coffee Shop Eliminates Tipping Due to Seasonal Inconsistencies

A Salt Lake City, Utah, coffee shop Three Pines Coffee is piloting a no-tip policy while upping all entry hourly pay from $8 to $18 an hour, according to a report from local CBS affiliate KUTV. Owner Nick Price told the station that seasonal volume made tipping too inconsistent.

Union-Backed Starbucks Shareholders File Proxy Materials

The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), a Starbucks shareholder group backed by a union coalition, sent a letter urging enhanced oversight and human capital management expertise for Starbucks’ Board of Directors, while proposing a slate of three new candidates. The SOC filed proxy materials for the company’s annual meeting.

Nguyen Coffee Drinks Coming to HEB Stores

New York-based Nguyen Coffee Supply has announced that its ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee products will now be available in HEB stores throughout Texas. The HEB distribution follows recent news of Nguyen drinks launching in Sprouts stores nationwide.

Starbucks Launching Olive Oil Drinks in US

After debuting its Oleato olive-oil-infused beverages in Italy early last year, Starbucks is bringing the line to all United States locations and other international markets. The drink line includes olive oil from the brand Partanna.

AeroPress Launches Pink Version for Love

Manual brewer company AeroPress has launched a transparent pink version of its iconic brewer. The AeroPress Clear Pink is selling for $49.95. Last year, AeroPress launched an XL version of the brewer.

Old-School San Francisco Coffee Shop Listed on Craigslist

The Muddy Waters Coffee House, which has been serving coffee for more than 34 years in San Francisco’s Mission district, was recently listed on Craigslist for $75,000, as first reported by Mission Local. In a follow-up report from SF Gate, co-owner Hisham Massarweh said he was hoping to retire.

San Antonio Coffee Festival Coming Feb. 10

The San Antonio Coffee Festival is coming to Travis Park in downtown San Antonio on Saturday, Feb. 10. The consumer-focused event is expected to feature more than 30 coffee roasting companies, plus food vendors and live music.

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In Case You Missed It

Here are some of DCN’s top stories from the past week…

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The 2023 Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide Has Landed

The 2023 edition of the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide (SCTG) guide went live today, providing actors throughout the coffee chain a data-driven tool for green coffee price discovery… read more

Toronto’s Pilot Coffee Roasters Acquiring Bridgehead Coffee for $3.6 Million

Toronto, Ontario-based specialty coffee roaster and retailer Pilot Coffee Roasters is acquiring Ottawa-based Bridgehead Coffee in a deal worth approximately US$3.6 million… read more

Thread Coffee Roasters Opens Tailor-Made Roastery in Baltimore

The interwoven actions of Thread Coffee Roasters in Baltimore are finding exponentially more space this week with the grand opening of a brand-new production roastery and training lab… read more

Hawaiian Legislators Introduce Bills for Stricter Coffee Labeling

Legislators representing the Kona district of Hawaii have introduced a series of bills that would require more strict labeling requirements for single-origin coffees and blends containing Hawaiian-grown coffees… read more

Ukraine’s Soloway Coffee Opens First US Shop in Chicago

A specialty coffee roasting company based in western Ukraine called Soloway Coffee (Instagram link) this week opened its first location in the United States… read more

Three Questions with IWCA Executive Director Blanca Castro

When International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) Executive Director began her job years ago at the Guatemalan coffee association Anacafé, she knew next to nothing about coffee. “I just pretended that I was a connoisseur when I asked for an espresso in fancy restaurants,” Castro recently told Daily Coffee News. “That was it.”… read more

Three Questions with Gabriela Parfait of The Good Sourcing

After eight years working for the French green coffee importing company Belco, Gabriela Parfait has launched a coffee-focused company called The Good Sourcingread more

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