legal issues

Qargo Coffee Owners Charged with Rare Franchise Rule Violation

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last week accused the owners of the Miami-based coffee franchise Qargo Coffee of violating a rarely cited franchise law while racking up $1.25...

2024.10.23

Bernadette BastorousBurgerIMBusiness OperationsCalifornia/PacificchainsCorporateFederal Trade CommissionFloridafranchisesIndustrylawsuitslegal issuesMark BastorousMiamiMidwestPlains/RockiesQargo CoffeeRetailSamir ShenoudaSouth/SouthwestUnited Statesコーヒー

US Department of Labor Sues New York Coffee Chain Over Overtime Pay

A New York City specialty coffee chain called White Noise Coffee is facing a lawsuit from the United States Department of Labor (DOL) alleging violations related to overtime pay and...

2024.10.14

Barista NewsBusiness OperationsCorporateDepartment of Labor Wage and Hour DivisionHan FlanaganHell's KitchenIndustryJeffrey S. Rogofflabor issueslawsuitslegal issuesManhattanNew YorkNew York CityNortheastovertimeQueensRetailUnited StatesUS Department of LaborVanesa KimWhite Noise Coffeeコーヒー

Minnesota Company Sues TreeHouse Over Pod Production Secrets

A Minneapolis company called Microtrace is accusing private-label food manufacturing giant TreeHouse Foods of “reverse engineering” proprietary technology used to identify Keurig-style coffee pods. In a lawsuit filed Sept. 30...

2024.10.09

Bay Valley FoodsCorporateCraft/OperationsFarmer BrothersIndustryK-Cupskeuriglawsuitslegal issuesMacroMicrotraceMidwestMinneapolisMinnesotapodsProAmpacProductsRoastingsingle-serveSouth/SouthwestTreeHouse FoodsUnited Statesコーヒー

VOCAL Alliance Launches, Urges EU Regulatory Compliance Over Pushback

A new consortium of civil society organizations under the acronym VOCAL (Voice of Organizations in Coffee Alliance) launched today, challenging the coffee industry’s prevailing positions on regulatory compliance. In its...

2024.10.02

Coffee WatchCorporateCorporate Sustainability Reporting DirectiveCSDDDdeforestationEUDREuropean UnionFairfoodFairtrade InternationalFarmer IssuesFernForests of the WorldGreen Claims DirectiveIndustryInkota NetzwerkInternationallegal issuesMarket NewsOriginOxfam BelgiumPublic EyeRikoltoSustainabilityVOCALVOICE Networkコーヒー

Red Bay Coffee Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in Oakland

Oakland, California-based specialty coffee roaster and retailer Red Bay Coffee filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late last month, citing financial losses in the first half of 2024. The coffee...

2024.09.11

bankruptcyBay AreaBusiness OperationsCaliforniaCalifornia/PacificChapter 11CorporateCraft/OperationsIndustryKeba Kontelegal issuesMacroMicroOaklandRed Bay CoffeeRetailRoastingコーヒー

Keurig Charged with Deceptive Recyclability Claims, Pays $1.5 Million

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today charged Keurig Dr. Pepper with making inaccurate statements regarding the recyclability of its single-use plastic K-Cups. To settle the charges, the...

2024.09.11

CorporateCraft/OperationsIndustryK-CupsKeurig Dr Pepperlegal issuesMacroMarketingProductsrecyclingRoastingSECsingle-useUnited Statesコーヒー

Seattle-Area Bikini Barista Chain Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

The owner of a chain of Seattle-area bikini barista coffee stands pleaded guilty last week to tax fraud and faces up to three years in prison. In a plea agreement,...

2024.09.05

Assad BaragzaiAuburnbikini baristasBusiness Operationscrimelegal issuesMichael DionNorthwestRajesh MathewRetailWashingtonコーヒー

Colorado Specialty Coffee Company Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

An influential player in the specialty coffee scene of Colorado Springs, Colorado, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month. Switchback Coffee Roasters, which was founded in 2010, filed the...

2024.08.27

bankruptcyBrandon DelGrossoBusiness OperationsChapter 11ColoradoColorado SpringsCorporateCraft/OperationsIndustrylegal issuesMicroPlains/RockiesRetailRoastingSwitchback Coffee RoastersUnited Statesコーヒー

Former ‘Balmuccino’ Lip Balm Heads Sue Starbucks Again

Representatives of a former Los Angeles company called Balmuccino are suing Starbucks for a third time, claiming that the coffee giant stole confidential product development details for coffee-themed lip balms....

2024.08.20

BalmuccinoCorporateHoward SchultzIndustrylawsuitslegal issueslip balmMarketingMehmet Ozproduct developmentProductsStarbucksUnited Statesコーヒー

Opinion: Large Roasters Urge EUDR Delay, But Where’s the Culpability?

As the enforcement countdown for the new EU deforestation-free law (EUDR) reaches its final months, the chorus of prominent coffee industry voices urging a delay is growing ever louder. Beginning...

2024.08.20

ColumnsCorporatedeforestationEUDRFairtrade InternationalFarmer IssuesIndustrylegal issuesMarket NewsOriginSustainabilityコーヒー