Assad BaragzaiSeattle-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,...
legal issues
Assad Baragzai
bankruptcyColorado 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...
BalmuccinoFormer ‘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....
ColumnsOpinion: 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...
Central AmericaSwiss Coffee Trader Arrested in Guatemala on Tax Charges
A Swiss coffee trader is currently under house arrest in Guatemala following charges of tax fraud, according to numerous Swiss and Guatemalan media reports. Neither Swiss nor Guatemalan authorities have...
AspenInk! Coffee Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in Colorado
Long-running coffee roasting and retail company Ink! Coffee filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Colorado last week. The voluntary Chapter 11 petition invokes Subchapter V of the United States Bankruptcy...
almond milkOhio Woman Sues Biggby Coffee Over Non-Dairy Milk Pricing
Attorneys representing an Ohio woman have filed a class action lawsuit against Michigan-based Biggby Coffee, alleging discrimination by up-charging for non-dairy milks. The complaint echoes similar class action complaints —...
CorporateEuropean Roasters Call for Delay in EU Deforestation Rules (EUDR)
A consortium of large European green coffee purchasing and roasting companies is asking EU lawmakers to delay implementation of Europe’s new anti-deforestation law. The 23-year-old nonprofit group International Coffee Partners...
Baton RougeStarbucks Sues Small Louisiana Business in Mermaid-Siren Dispute
Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks is suing a mother-and-daughter-owned small business called Mountains & Mermaids, alleging trademark violations related to its siren-mermaid logo and branding. Starbucks filed suit in United States...
Blue Bottle CoffeeBlue Bottle Coffee Loses Trademark Suit Against ‘Blue Brew’
A United States District Court judge this week ruled against Blue Bottle Coffee in a trademark infringement case against the owner of the Blue Brew brand of coffee equipment. In...