For paid subscribers: From the preposterous tech startup that wanted to roast coffee in space to espresso on the International Space Station, there’s a lot of coffee up there.
Many people visit cafes during the workday—but for those who work nights, good coffee remains woefully scarce. Now, one enterprising Australian is trying to change that.
Welcome to the first Pourover newsletter sent from its new home on Ghost. I finished the process of migrating platforms this week (you can read a bit more about why I moved here) and I've also been working on refreshing the website part of the Pourover. Check it out!
Okay, without further ado, let's get to the news. This week:
Starbucks reversed its policy that let people spend time in its stores without buying anything. As the BBC headline put it: "Buy Something or Leave, Starbucks Says". It's part of a move to make the company "a welcoming coffeehouse again", although it's not clear how making its underpaid baristas kick people out helps in that regard.
A dispute between the co-founders of the Washington, D.C.-based specialty chain Compass Coffee has resulted in a lawsuit in which Harrison Suarez accuses Michael Haft of fraud, breach of contract, and racketeering. Among the highlights is an accusation that Haft used federal pandemic relief funds to invest in Bitcoin.
Negotiations for a first contract between Starbucks and its union have broken down over pay and economic proposals. Starbucks Workers United called the company's proposals "almost laughable", while Starbucks responded that the union's wage demands are "not sustainable". (For reference, as well as some $36 billion in revenue, over the past year Starbucks spent $2.58 billion on dividends and almost $2 billion on stock buybacks.)
For more on all these stories, plus news of how the Los Angeles coffee community has stepped up after the devastating and deadly wildfires, check out the full Roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:
Until next week, there's just enough time to check in on Merlin, whom we haven't seen in a while. The old lady is still going (she enjoyed a piece of ham from our local cafe this morning) and here she is being rudely interrupted while having a drink:
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A website and newsletter about coffee—its culture, politics, and how it connects to the wider world.
I'm a coffee writer and creator of The Pourover. Based in Scotland, I have over a decade of experience in the specialty coffee industry. Ask me about coffeewashing. It's pronounced Fin (he/him)
