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Perplexity photo.
Perplexity AI Opens Café Curious in South Korea
San Francisco-based AI search engine Perplexity opened a coffee shop called Café Curious in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong neighborhood. Following a trend among AI companies like Anthropic and Notion to create physical touch points with consumers, Perplexity is using coffee, human baristas and branded merchandise to introduce customers to its AI platform, according to a San Francisco Standard report.
Joe Bean Roasters Launches Private-Label Division
Rochester, New York-based Joe Bean Roasters launched Tailor Fit Coffee Solutions, a private-label services division focused on specialty coffee contract manufacturing and custom-branded coffees. The move responds to coffee market volatility and aims to support other coffee business owners, according to a Rochester Business Journal report.
American Airlines Inks New Coffee Partner in Lavazza
American Airlines and Lavazza have signed a deal that will bring the Italian roaster’s blends to American Flagship and Admirals Club lounges and across all in-flight cabins.
For Five Coffee Roasters Coming to JFK Terminal 6 in 2026
JFK Millennium Partners announced that specialty roaster For Five Coffee Roasters will join P.J. Clarke’s and Brooklyn Brewery at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s new Terminal 6, marking the brand’s airport debut next year.
Unionized Starbucks Baristas Challenge Olympics Partnership
Starbucks Workers United filed a 22-page complaint with the International Olympic Committee opposing Starbucks as the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics’ “official coffee partner.” The union claims Starbucks’ treatment of unionizing workers and allegations of forced labor in Brazil violate the Olympic ethics code, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
Pacha Mama Auction Opens to International Buyers
The fourth Pacha Mama Specialty Coffee Auction goes global November 27, 2025, offering international shipping on coffees from Peru’s Selva Central in the Junín region for the first time. Registration is now open.
C Price Reaches Eight-Month High
The “C Price” reached its highest point since February’s all-time high, settling at $4.208 on Wednesday, Oct. 22. Analysts attribute the sustained high coffee prices to U.S. tariffs, adverse weather in certain regions and shrinking certified stocks.
Rival Bros Coffee Securing Cash for Expansion in Philly
Philadelphia-based Rival Bros Coffee is approaching its $4 million fundraising target to fuel expansion after opening its fifth cafe last month. The company closed a $1.19 million seed round in April. The Philadelphia Business Journal has more (paywall) on the fundraising effort.
Naysayer Coffee Launches Fundraiser for Second Location
Napa, California-based roaster Naysayer Coffee aims to raise $50,000 in 30 days through tiered support options to fund a second shop in north Napa and cover unexpected costs including construction, a grease trap and a trash enclosure.
Best SanCup Auction Celebrates 25th Year
The 2025 Best SanCup auction, featuring top coffees from Brazil’s Sancoffee cooperative community in Minas Gerais, takes place online November 26, 2025. Registration to bid is now open.
New from CoffeeIndustryJobs.com
- Director of Coffee — Olympia Coffee
- Coffee Roaster — Flying Star Cafe
- Green Coffee Supply Chain Part-Time Manager — Artisan Coffee Imports
- Field Service Technician — Ozo Coffee Roasters
- Warehouse Manager — Kauai Coffee
- Store Manager – Housing Available — Hampton Coffee Company
ICYMI
Here are some of DCN’s top stories from the past week…
Roast Magazine Announces 2026 Roaster of the Year Winners
Kafiex Roasters and Driftaway Coffee have been honored with Roast magazine’s 22nd annual Roaster of the Year award in the Micro and Macro roaster categories, respectively… read more
Report Says Coffee Continues to Erase Brazil’s Forests, Exacerbating Climate Shocks
A new report from the nonprofit Coffee Watch says that modern coffee production in Brazil continues to be a significant driver of deforestation, with hundreds of thousands of hectares of native forest cleared inside coffee farm boundaries since 2001… read more
Jack Simpson of Australia is the 2025 World Barista Champion
Australia’s Jack Simpson was crowned the 2025 World Barista Champion today, capping a remarkable competition run that included a runner-up WBC finish in 2024 and a third-place finish in 2023… read more
UK Study Associates ‘Very Hot’ Coffee and Tea with Cancer Risk
A recent study tracking nearly half a million people has delivered sobering news for people who prefer their morning brew piping hot: drinking very hot beverages may significantly increase the risk of a form of throat cancer called esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)… read more
Brazil Study Promotes Closed Fermentation to Boost Quality of Unripe Coffees
New research from Brazil suggests that highly controlled anaerobic fermentation can improve the quality of unripe coffees to the point that they meet specialty coffee standards… read more
SCA Announces World of Coffee Bogotá and World Brewers Cup 2027
The Specialty Coffee Association and the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) are bringing the World of Coffee trade show and the World Brewers Cup to Bogotá in 2027… read more
EU Proposes Softening EUDR Reporting Requirements for Small Companies
The European Commission is proposing to soften the reporting requirements for micro and small companies under the EU’s deforestation-free supply chain regulation, known as the EUDR… read more
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