Independent coffee shops are speaking up for their neighbours and saying no to ICE in their stores. Some big coffee brands, however, have taken a different approach.
Hello, and welcome to the Roundup. Every week, I read all the coffee news and write about the best bits for Fresh Cup Magazine. Then, I summarise those bits for you in this newsletter.
A manager at White Rhino Coffee in Dallas, Texas, recently resigned in response to what she said is the company's pro-ICE policy. Margot Stacy publicly quit her job at the specialty chain after allegedly being told that her staff couldn't refuse service to ICE agents, and in fact had to give them a first-responder discount. About a dozen other workers also walked out. White Rhino denied that it gives first-responder discounts to ICE. (This story was also part of my latest Pourover long read.)
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol's ongoing attempt to revive the coffee giant's flagging fortunes finally seems to have started working, 16 months after he took over as chief executive. Despite the attempts to make the company a "third place" again (although, was it ever?) progress has been slow. Finally, however, Starbucks' latest financial report showed gains in sales, revenue, and customer traffic.
When the Trump administration finally caved and rolled back tariffs on coffee in November, you might have thought that was the last we'd have to hear about the dreaded import tax. But no—as it turns out, not every coffee type received a tariff turnaround. In fact, Brazilian-manufactured instant coffee still faces a 50% tariff, despite industry insiders not really understanding why.
For more on all these stories, plus news of investment from big brands in regenerative agriculture, check out the full Roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:
If you missed it, why not check out my latest article, on the contrast between how independent coffee shops and big companies have responded to ICE's presence in Minnesota.
No one wants this, no one’s asking for this. But we’re here and we can be that place to gather and talk, and it’s been really cool to see people show up and protect the community.
As usual, paid subscribers will receive a bonus article this Friday, but until then it's goodbye from Thomas, the cat my friend Angela's mum rescued back in October. He's grown a lot since then:
Thomas now, and (inset) how he looked back in October
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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)
Fionn Pooler
Fionn Pooler
