Illinois

Lawsuit Says Trader Joe’s “Low Acid” Coffee Was Too Low on Caffeine

A federal class action filed last week alleges that Trader Joe’s has been deceptively marketing its “French Roast Low Acid” whole bean coffee as fully caffeinated when lab testing showed...

2026.04.28

caffeineCaliforniaclass actionsCorporateIllinoisIndustrylawsuitslow-acid coffeeMarketingNew YorkProductsPuroast Coffee CompanyTrader Joe'sUnited Statesコーヒー

Peet’s Plans U.S. Store Closings as Parent Company Takeover Begins

Peet’s Coffee has confirmed a wave of cafe closings by the end of January, including several Bay Area locations, as the chain reshapes its retail footprint. The closures come...

2026.01.22

Alfred PeetBay AreaBerkeleyBusiness OperationsCaliforniaCalifornia/PacificchainsChicagoclosingsCorporateCraft/OperationsEvanstonGlobal Coffee Co.IllinoisIndustryJDE Peet'sKeurig Dr PepperMacroMarketingMidwestPeet's CoffeeRetailReutersRoastingSan FranciscoStephanie O’BrienUnited Statesコーヒー

Probat Consolidating U.S. Operations in Dallas

German coffee roasting equipment maker Probat announced it is consolidating its U.S. operations in Texas, bringing together groups currently based at Probat Inc. outside Chicago, Bauermeister USA in Memphis...

2025.10.29

AC HornBauermeister USABurnsBurns RoastersChicagocommercial roastersCorporateCraft/OperationsDallasEllen NielsenIllinoisindustrial equipmentIndustryLincolnshireMacromanufacturingMemphisMicroProbat BurnsProbat Inc.ProductsRoastingTexasUnited Statesコーヒー

The Tailwind Roasting Collaborative in Chicago is Uplifting Small Businesses

In the notoriously windy city of Chicago, a new coffee roasting incubator business seeks to be the wind beneath the wings of small-scale or startup roasting operations. Green coffee expert...

2025.02.24

Caravela CoffeeChicagoco-roastingCraft/OperationsCrop to CupGoose IslandIllinoisLa MinitaMarketingMicroMidwestRising Tide Roast CollaborativeRoastingSarah Cline ParkerThe Coffee QuestTrevor Jermasekコーヒー

Intelligentsia Coffee Thinks Big at New Chicago Roastery

Chicago-based specialty coffee trailblazer Intelligentsia Coffee recently laid the groundwork for a new era of growth inside an enormous new 45,000-square-foot roastery. Fully operational since late last year, the company’s...

2025.02.19

Bedford ParkBusiness OperationsChicagoCraft/OperationsDoug ZellEmily MangeIllinoisIntelligentsia CoffeeMacroMidwestMonica TerveerRetailRoastingSam Saboriコーヒー

New Day Dawns for Monday Coffee with Flagship Roastery Cafe in Chicago

Two key events in the long-term calendar of Chicago’s Monday Coffee are now complete with the opening of the brand’s roastery and first brick-and-mortar cafe. The community-focused and Black-owned company...

2024.11.21

Amanda Christine HarthBusiness OperationsCafe ImportsCarlos Robles-ShanahanCatalogue CoffeeChicagoCraft/OperationsDe La FincaDuo DevelopmentFelton KizerIllinoisLittlefoot CoffeeMarketingMicroMidwestMonday CoffeeNorth LawndaleOpeningsRafa RoblesRetailRoastingコーヒー

Leaves ‘n Beans Coffee Rakes in More Production Space in Peoria

Leaves ‘n Beans Coffee is gaining traction in Peoria, Illinois, moving its roastery and headquarters into a 7,600-square-foot space formerly occupied by a K-Mart tire center. The company’s existing Diedrich...

2024.11.18

BloomingtonBusiness OperationsChampaignCraft/OperationsGalesburgIllinoisInterContinental Coffee TradingJames CrossK-MartLeaves 'n BeansMacroMarketingMicroMidwestOpeningsPeoriaRetailRoastingSpringfieldコーヒー

Sputnik Coffee Goes Supernova with Huge New Roastery Cafe in Chicago

Chicago-based Sputnik Coffee Company opened a spacious second cafe earlier this month with views into an enormous new color-coordinated roasting facility. Less than half a mile from Sputnik’s original roastery...

2024.10.30

Back of the YardsBrighton ParkBusiness OperationsCanCoChicagoCraft/OperationsGreesha KaganIllinoisMacroMarketingMicroMidwestOpeningsRetailRoastingSouth SudanSputnik Coffee RoastersVova Kaganコーヒー

Three Questions with Vikram Patel of PNG-Focused Benchmark Coffee Traders

After passing the Illinois state bar, Vikram Patel practiced law for two years. During that time, he was also sowing the seeds of a green coffee business that has since...

2024.06.20

AsiaBenchmark Coffee TradersChicagoColumnsFarmer Issuesgreen coffeeIllinoisimportersIndustryMarket NewsOriginPapua New GuineaPeoplePNGSustainabilityThree Questions WithVikram Patelコーヒー

Ukraine’s Soloway Coffee Opens First US Shop in Chicago

A specialty coffee roasting company based in western Ukraine called Soloway Coffee (Instagram link) this week opened its first location in the United States. Beans roasted in Ternopil, Ukraine, using...

2024.01.29

Artur YuzvikBusiness OperationsChicagoCraft/OperationsIllinoisIryna YuzvikKarma KavaLincoln ParkMarketingMicroMidwestOpeningsRetailRoastingSofia HupalovskaSoloway CoffeeSoloway RoasteryTernopilUkraineコーヒー