Baristas vs Bistros

Another busy week of coffee news. Here's what happened:

• Costa Rica's harvest is struggling due to a lack of migrant workers, a downstream impact of neighbouring Nicaragua's migration reforms. Because of this, combined with unseasonable rains in December, upwards of 15% of Costa Rican coffee remains unpicked.
• Starbucks' new CEO is going all out to reinvigorate the ailing brand. They've tried comfier seating; a more streamlined menu; kicking you out if you don't buy anything; and now a move beloved of many struggling corporations: layoffs.
• Paris is famous for its bistros and sidewalk cafes, but they're increasingly under threat—not only from international chains, but also specialty coffee shops. Some of the complaints are wonderfully French: “There’s no depth to the coffee shop, there’s no history, there’s no patina,” one bistro owner said.
• And some coffeewashing news: World Coffee Research announced a $10 million funding commitment from some of the biggest coffee companies in the world. Sounds great, right? But, as WCR itself reported, there's a $452 million yearly funding gap in coffee research and development, and $10 million is... less than a drop in the ocean.

For more on all this news, plus a marketing cam—I mean, job posting from Chameleon Cold Brew, check out the full roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:

This week, paid subscribers received their first bonus article, looking at the rhetoric around the collapse of Starbucks union contract negotiations:

Complete Breakdown

For paid subscribers: analysis of the latest breakdown in contract negotiations between Starbucks and its union.

The PouroverFionn Pooler

I'll be back on Friday with a new long-form newsletter, but until then it's goodbye from my sister's cat Maru, who is enjoying (?) playing with some string: