Coffee Company in Voluntarily Recognising Union Shocker

Another week of coffee news coming at your inbox, including:

• Cxffeeblack is beginning the second phase of its ambitious Barista Exchange Program: after taking a group of U.S. baristas to Africa in 2023 to learn about coffee’s history and visit coffee farms during harvest, the Memphis-based coffee and lifestyle company is now bringing a group of African baristas stateside to learn from and experience U.S. coffee culture.
• Should you tip at the coffee shop? It’s been a point of discussion for several years, and some Brooklyn cafes have now taken the decision out of customers’ hands—removing the option to tip from their checkout process entirely.
• Workers at Quills Coffee in Louisville, Kentucky, have unionised—but while many unions face long and acrimonious fights for recognition, the Quills CEO voluntarily recognised the union straight away. See how easy that was?

Read more on all these stories—plus some potentially good coffee health news—over at Fresh Cup Magazine:

I’ll be back on Friday with a new longform article, but until then it’s goodbye from Merlin—who is (understandably) annoyed at being woken up:

Sorry Merlin :(