Is 'Baristaphobia' Really a Thing?

This week, we're exploring news of tariffs, acquisitions, and marketing fluff (so pretty much the same as every week).

Here's what happened:

• Look, nobody knows what's going to happen, and it's becoming clearer every day that the Trump administration has no idea what it's doing and is just making these tariff decisions up as it goes. See, for example: a few days before the 50% tariffs on coffee imports from Brazil to the United States were due to go into effect, the U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hinted at the possibility that coffee might be exempt. "If you grow something and we don’t grow it, that can come in for zero", he told CNBC. However! This only applies to countries with whom the U.S. has negotiated new trade deals, such as Indonesia (and not, of course, Brazil).
• This next story is so Pourover-coded that three different people messaged me about it: A private equity firm is acquiring California-based Philz Coffee for $145 million. Philz used $75 million in venture capital funding to grow to over 70 stores nationwide, and its board members and those VC firms will receive payouts from the sale. However, its employees also invested—some putting in as much as $40,000—but because of the way the company's stock is organised they could lose all of it. "Those who hold common stock, like employees who bought stock during or after their years at the company, will see their stock canceled under the terms of the agreement, making those investments effectively worthless", wrote Jessica Blough for Mission Local.
• According to a totally-not-a-PR-campaign survey by the home appliances maker Philips, 47% of Gen Z are so intimidated by baristas and the very idea of ordering a coffee that they won't even enter a cafe. According to The Independent—which didn't link to the survey or tell us any details about how it was conducted—7% of respondents "admitted to suffering from ‘Baristaphobia,’ or being too scared to even approach a barista". They much prefer to use mobile ordering/collection, or just make coffee at home (and wouldn't you know it, Philips sells home espresso machines).

For more on all these stories, plus a union victory for Blue Bottle Coffee workers in California, check out the full roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:

Coffee News Club: Week of August 4th

Afraid of ordering from a barista? You’re not alone. Also: coffee’s possible tariff exemption, and a Philz buyout leaving some workers with nothing.

Fresh CupFionn Pooler

If you missed it, you can check out my latest deep dive, exploring the rise of Yemeni coffeehouses in the U.S. and all the ways they are showing Starbucks how to truly build a third place:

Forget Starbucks—Yemeni Coffeehouses Are the Real Third Places

While Starbucks tries to return to its coffeehouse roots, a new wave of cafes spreading across the United States show how to really build a welcoming third place.

The PouroverFionn Pooler

Paid subscribers will receive a new bonus article this Friday, but until then it's goodbye from my friend Angela's cats Jun, Clem, and Mack (I am not 100% sure who is who):