People

Starbucks Co-Founder Gordon Bowker Dies at 82

Gordon Bowker, the writer-turned-entrepreneur who co-founded Starbucks in 1971 and helped set the course for the specialty coffee movement in Seattle and beyond, died last week at the age of...

2025.08.28

Alfred PeetCaliforniaGordon BowkerIndustryJerry BaldwinOaklandPeopleRainierRetailseattleSeattle MagazineSeattle WeeklyStarbucksTerry HecklerUnited StatesWashingtonZev Sieglコーヒー

Starbucks Coffee is Laying Off 1,100 Corporate Employees

Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee is laying off 1,100 corporate staff members as part of a shakeup led by CEO Brian Niccol. Niccol, the former Chipotle CEO who took over the position...

2025.02.25

Brian NiccolchainsCorporateIndustryPeopleseattleStarbucksUnited StatesWashingtonコーヒー

Coffee Bean Taps Past Taco Bell and Starbucks Exec Tara Hinkle as Head of Americas

The California-born coffee chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) recently tapped former Taco Bell franchising finance executive Tara Hinkle to lead its business in the Americas. Hinkle joined...

2025.02.20

Business OperationsCaliforniachainsCoffee Bean and Tea LeafCorporatefranchisefranchisesIndustryJollibeeMarketingOpeningsPeopleRetailSouthern CaliforniaTaco BellTara Hinkleコーヒー

Löfbergs Acquires 100% Stake in Denmark’s Peter Larsen Kaffe

More than two decades after acquiring a 50% stake in Danish roasting company Peter Larsen Kaffe, Swedish coffee roasting company Löfbergs is acquiring a 100% stake. Claus Bertelsen, the longtime...

2025.02.12

acquisitionAsmund ThorsenClaus BertelsenCorporateCraft/OperationsDenmarkIndustryInternationalMacroPeoplePeter Larsen KaffeRoastingSwedenコーヒー

Carlo Di Ruocco, the Original Mr. Espresso, Dies at 90

Carlo Di Ruocco, the Italian-born founder of the California roasting company Mr. Espresso who helped introduce espresso to a generation of Americans, died in his sleep on Jan. 17 at...

2025.01.29

AlamedaAlice WatersBay AreaBradley OgdenCaliforniaCalifornia/PacificCarlo Di RuoccoColumnsCraft/OperationsIndustryItalyJohn Di RuoccoLaura di RuoccoLuigi Di RuoccoMacroMarie FrancoiseMr. EspressoobituariesPaul BertolliPeopleRoastingSalernoコーヒー

NKG Decentralizes Top Leadership, Names New CEO for the Americas

Hamburg, Germany-based green coffee conglomerate Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG) is decentralizing its executive leadership structure, introducing three regional CEOs leading offices in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, and Middle...

2025.01.24

Atlas Coffee ImportersCorporateCraft/OperationsDavid M. Neumanngreen coffeeimportersIndustryInterAmerican CoffeeInternationalJustin Schulze-SmidtMacroMaren UzarekMarket NewsNeumann Kaffe GruppeNicolas Rueda LatiffNKGOriginPeopleRoastingRothfos CorporationRuben ScholzUnited Statesコーヒー

Farmer Brothers Coffee Makes Two Key VP Appointments

Texas-based wholesale coffee company Farmer Brothers Coffee is tweaking its executive leadership with two key vice president appointments. Brian Miller, who most recently served as the vice president of customized...

2025.01.17

Brian MillerCraft/OperationsCustom InkFarmer BrothersFort WorthIndustryJohn MooreMacroMars DrinksPeoplePrimo WaterRoastingTexasTom BauerUnited Statesコーヒー

Compass Coffee Co-Founder Sues Owners, Alleging Fraud

The co-founder of Washington D.C.-based specialty coffee chain Compass Coffee is accusing the company and two of its current owners of a multi-year fraud scheme, misuse of federal COVID-19 relief...

2025.01.15

Business OperationsCompass CoffeeCorporateCraft/OperationsHarrison SuarezIndustrylawsuitslegal issuesMacroMichael HaftNortheastPeopleRetailRoastingRobert HaftSouth/SouthwestWashington D.C.コーヒー

Panera and Caribou Group CEO Steps Down After Less Than Two Years

Panera Brands CEO José Alberto Dueñas is stepping down from the role of CEO after approximately 22 months. He is being replaced on an interim basis by current CFO Paul...

2025.01.08

Caribou CoffeechainsCorporateDunkin' BrandsfranchisesIndustryJosé Alberto DueñasPanera BrandsPanera BreadPaul CarbonePeopleUnited Statesコーヒー

Best of ‘Three Questions’ 2024: Conversations with Coffee Leaders

Continuing our 2024 Year in Review, here are some highlights from our ongoing “Three Questions With” series, which features people doing amazing work in all corners of the coffee world. ...

2024.12.25

2024 Year In ReviewColumnsPeopleThree Questions Withコーヒー