Coffee News Recap, 25 Apr: Brazil’s 2025/26 coffee output expected to drop by over 6%, World Coffee Roasting Championship underway in Houston & other stories

Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the week. 

Editor’s note

This year’s Specialty Coffee Expo, taking place in Houston, Texas, begins today. More than 17,000 people from 85 countries are expected to attend the event, which is hosting the 2025 World Coffee Roasting Championship for the first time. A total of 22 international competitors – including the US’ Diego Guartan, Spain’s Beca Silva, and Norway’s Simo Kristidhi – will vie for the title of world’s best roaster.

At Expo, home coffee equipment manufacturer Fellow will debut its first-ever espresso machine. The brand claims to have developed the Espresso Series 1 to offer a solution that eliminates the tradeoff between inconsistent results with lower-priced home espresso machines and multi-thousand-dollar investments in high-performance machines.

Consumer interest in premium yet easy-to-use home coffee equipment has been growing in recent years, and events like Expo are among the best platforms to showcase these products. As coffee prices continue to climb, at-home consumption is projected to increase. More people could be persuaded to invest in home espresso machines and attempt to replicate café-quality drinks, opening up new opportunities for more equipment brands.

Coffee prices continued their upward trajectory this week, reaching over US $4/lb again, after Rabobank announced its new estimate for Brazil’s 2025/26 coffee output. The Dutch bank pegs the Brazilian 2025/26 coffee crop at 62.8 60kg million bags, which is 6.8% less than the 2024/25 crop.

Simultaneously, the NCA announced that its coffee tariff exemption request was “well received” by the US government, but that “it’s impossible to predict if that means anything”. With the outcome yet to be determined, uncertainty and volatility will continue to define the current climate of the coffee industry.

Top stories of the week

• Mon, 21 Apr – Starbucks to debut in Iceland in May. Berjaya Food will open two Reykjavik stores, marking the the first entry of a Malaysian public-listed food and beverage company into Iceland’s coffee market. The company secured licensing rights for Starbucks in Denmark, Finland, and Iceland in 2024. (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia)

• Tue, 22 Apr – Fellow launches its first-ever espresso machine. The Espresso Series 1 includes the patented Boosted Boiler, a multi-point heating system that the brand claims is unique to machines at similar price points. The machine, which debuts at Expo in Houston, also features adaptive pressure profiling, guided brewing and intelligent shot feedback, and assisted steaming with Auto-Purge. (San Francisco, California, US)

• Thu, 24 Apr – Chobani invests US $1.2 billion in third US dairy processing plant. The 1.4 million-sq-ft factory is the company’s largest facility investment in its history. The plant will have the capacity to produce more than 1 billion pounds of dairy products each year, which Chobani says will help keep up with “soaring” demand for dairy. (Rome, New York, US)

• Fri, 25 Apr – Highlands Coffee opens US $21m roastery in southern Vietnam and revives IPO plan. The new 24,000m² facility in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu aims to roast 75,000 tonnes of coffee annually, supporting the chain’s 800 stores across Vietnam and the Philippines. Following rising demand, the Jollibee-owned company, which is the largest coffee chain in Vietnam, is revisiting IPO plans ten years after first considering the move. (Bà Rịa, Vietnam)

• Fri, 25 Apr – The 2025 World Coffee Roasting Championship underway in Houston. This is the first time that the world final will be held in the US. Over 20 roasters will compete for the title of world’s best at Specialty Coffee Expo Houston. The winner will be announced on the final day of the event on 27 April 2025. (Houston, Texas, US)

Industry news

Businesses for sale

New launch

• Mon, 21 Apr – Compound Foods launches beanless coffee and cocoa ingredient platform. The company launched the platform, which it says offers brands functional, high-quality alternatives to coffee and cocoa, in response to the growing instability of coffee and cocoa production due to supply shortages, climate pressures, and extreme price fluctuations. (San Francisco, California, US)

• Tue, 22 Apr – Starbucks will open its first 3D-printed café. A 1,400-sq-ft drive-thru and mobile-order-only store, built entirely from 3D-printed concrete in partnership with PERI 3d Construction, will debut on 28 April at a cost of US $1.98 million. (Brownsville, Texas, US)

• Wed, 23 Apr – RAVE Coffee joins Tusk for a new blend to fund African conservation. RAVE’s new medium-dark roast, made from Rwandan and Burundian beans with notes of cherry, honeycomb and cocoa, donates £1 per bag to Tusk’s habitat protection, human–wildlife coexistence and environmental education programmes across Africa. (Cirencester, UK)

• Fri, 25 Apr – Neuhaus Neotec launches Gourmet roaster line. The three new models are the Gourmet 1000, which roasts 35 to 110kg batches; the Gourmet 1500, which roasts 50 to 150kg; and the Gourmet 2000, which handles 70 to 220kg per batch. (Ganderkesee, Germany)

• Fri, 25 Apr – OutIn launches Claro precision digital scale. The round Claro scale features three smart brewing modes: Manual, Espresso, and Pour-Over. OutIn is exhibiting at Expo in Houston, showcasing a number of its products. (Denver, Colorado, US)

Milestone

• Thu, 24 Apr – The Miners debuts in Slovakia. This marks the Czech specialty coffee brand’s third international market entry following store launches in Poland and Austria, bringing the total number of outlets to close to 20. (Prague, Czech Republic)

• Fri, 25 Apr – Thermoplan appoints new Managing Director for Germany division. Christian Matzke has extensive experience in managing global companies, including Reneka International, where he developed successful business strategies, optimised processes, and helped achieve operational efficiency. (Weggis, Switzerland)

Trade & production

Research

Events & competitions

• Fri, 25 Apr – Santos to debut new award-winning I-Grind #67 at Expo. This is the French company’s first time attending the event, where the I-Grind #67 has been nominated for the Best New Product. The grinder was recently awarded at the SIRHA innovation awards in Europe. (Vaulx-en-Velin, France)

• Fri, 25 Apr – Mazzer to relaunch Mini G grinders at Expo. The updated models include the Vibration Filtering Algorithm, built-in scales with real-time feedback, portafilter and magnetic dosing cup activation, and an additional set of steel 64mm flat burrs. A European launch is expected later this year. (Gardigiano, Italy)

• Fri, 25 Apr – Expocacer debuts e-commerce platform for global coffee buyers. Following a 41% increase in exports in 2024, the Brazilian cooperative will launch the platform at Expo in Houston, offering direct trade opportunities and differentiated coffee categories. Expocacer will exhibit at booth 126, hosting cupping sessions and coffee tastings. (Minas Gerais, Brazil)

Here are a few coffee news stories from previous weeks that you might find interesting. Take a look:

• Mon, 14 Apr – StoneX will acquire US clearing broker R. J. O’Brien. Founded in 1914, R.J. O’Brien is the oldest futures brokerage in the US. The acquisition adds over 75,000 clients to StoneX’s portfolio and grows its client float to over US $13 bn. (New York City, New York, US)

• Fri, 18 Apr – SIC spotlights coffee supply chain and innovation at HostMilano 2025. This year’s event will feature streamlined pavilion layouts to link green coffee to bar counters. Italy’s €550m espresso machine sector leads EU roasting, producing 556,500 tonnes yearly. The World Barista Championship will take place at HostMilano. (Milan, Italy)

Photo credits: Fellow, La Marzocco

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Want to keep up with current affairs in the coffee industry? Check out last week’s coffee news stories and make sure to read the latest Coffee Intelligence News & Opinion piece about illycaffè’s decision to raise prices by 4% marks a new era for roasting and distribution.