Coffee News Recap, 30 Jan: Onyx Coffee Lab named James Beard Award semi-finalist, Peru’s 2025 coffee exports achieved record sales & other stories

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

Editor’s note

Often referred to as the “Oscars of food”, the James Beard Awards recognise excellence in the US independent restaurant industry. But this year, alongside cocktail and wine bars, they have shortlisted a specialty coffee shop.

Pioneering Arkansas roaster Onyx Coffee Lab has been named a semi-finalist in the Outstanding Bar category. Onyx’s 1907 location, a three-story, 30,000-square-foot café and roasting space that also serves as its headquarters, has been nominated for its focus on exceptional coffee and hospitality.

It’s a milestone moment not just for Onyx, but for the entire specialty coffee industry. National recognition at such a prestigious level brings legitimacy to an industry that works tirelessly to spotlight quality coffee, historically undervalued, and intentional customer service. 

The 2026 James Beard Award finalists will be announced on March 31, and winners will be celebrated on June 15 in Chicago.

Top stories of the week

• Mon, 26 Jan – Brazil instant coffee sector seeks clarity on US 50% tariff. Almost all coffee products were exempted from tariffs in November 2025, including flavoured instant coffee, but the steep 50% levy remained in place for Brazil’s regular soluble coffee products. The country’s instant coffee exports fell 35% in December, so ABICS says it’s working with US counterparts to revive shipments. (São Paulo, Brazil)

• Mon, 26 Jan – MIDAGRI reports that Peru’s coffee exports hit record sales in 2025. Government data shows shipments totalled US$1.57bn from January to November, up 54.1% year-on-year, driven by higher international prices, strong demand for organic and value-added lots, and exports to the US and EU markets. (Lima, Peru)

• Tue, 27 Jan – UK’s Caffè Nero makes £2.9m bid for US’ Compass Coffee. The offer seeks to acquire Compass’ assets and select stores as part of Caffè Nero’s US strategy. Compass, which operates 25 locations in the Washington DC area, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early January. (Washington, DC, US)

• Wed, 28 Jan – Onyx Coffee Lab secures semi-final spot in 2026 James Beard Awards. The Arkansas specialty coffee roaster is nominated for Outstanding Bar, a category historically dominated by cocktail and wine bars. Finalists will be announced on 31 March. (Bentonville, Arkansas, US)

• Thu, 29 Jan – Starbucks says it will open thousands more stores by 2028 as its turnaround plan appears to be paying off. Latest financial results showed that global net sales rose 6% to US$9.9bn in Q1. CFO Cathy Smith said the chain intends to add 2,000 more stores to its global network by fiscal 2028, marking a potential return to growth. (Seattle, Washington, US)

• Thu, 29 Jan – De’Longhi posts record €3.8bn revenue; La Marzocco and Eversys support professional division growth. Revenue growth of over 40% in the professional division was driven by consolidated leadership in premium segments, the ability to anticipate and capitalise on emerging specialty coffee trends, and rapid expansion into the prosumer market, the group says. (Treviso, Italy)

• Fri, 30 Jan – US Brewers Cup 2026 to take place in North Carolina. RoasTronix will host the competition from 26 to 29 March, with 24 competitors going head-to-head for a spot at the World Brewers Cup in WoC Brussels in June. (Raleigh, North Carolina, US)

Industry news

• Mon, 26 Jan – Ozone Coffee completes B Corp re-certification with improved score. The roaster received a new overall score of 97.6, up from 83.6 in 2022. (Auckland, New Zealand)

• Tue, 27 Jan – La Colombe plans US$479m West Michigan expansion. The specialty coffee roaster will invest in its Norton Shores manufacturing and roasting facility to scale production, add about 100 jobs, and support growth in processing, filling, and packaging operations. (Norton Shores, Michigan, US)

• Tue, 27 Jan – Chaiiwala names James Kang CEO to lead Canada expansion. Kang will drive brand growth and franchise scaling in Canada, focusing on market-entry strategy, site rollouts, and operational partnerships to build the chain’s footprint. (Toronto, Canada)

• Tue, 27 Jan – South Korea’s coffee import value rises 35% in 2025 while volume stays flat. Data show stronger demand for specialty-grade coffee drove higher spending even as total import tonnage held steady, reflecting quality-led shifts and pricing dynamics in Korea’s coffee market. (Seoul, South Korea)

• Wed, 28 Jan – Neumann Kaffee Gruppe appoints Marten Sievers as CEO for EMEA. Sievers will oversee regional leadership, customer engagement and organisational transformation, coordinating commercial operations and strategy across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa as the group strengthens its regional empowerment approach. (Hamburg, Germany)

• Wed, 28 Jan – Keurig reported to regulators over K-Cup recycling claims. The complaint alleges that Keurig misled consumers by marketing K-Cup pods as recyclable despite their limited recyclability in practice, potentially breaching advertising standards and prompting scrutiny of its sustainability messaging. (Burlington, Massachusetts, US)

• Wed, 28 Jan – Cafés in the Netherlands are declining as Gen Z prefers coffee bars. New statistics indicate that traditional sit-down cafés are contracting, whereas smaller specialty coffee bars remain relatively resilient, reflecting younger consumers’ shifting preferences for quality. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)

• Wed, 28 Jan – Per Diem launches Latte Art Index 2026 to track how US coffee prices rose in line with inflation. The index measures how latte prices vary across states. Hawaii has the highest average price of US$6.1, while Pennsylvania has the lowest at US$4.65. (New York City, New York, US)

• Thu, 29 Jan – Keurig recalls about 80,000 McCafé decaf K-Cups following concerns they may contain caffeine. The recall affects approximately 1,000 cartons of McCafé Premium Roast Decaf Coffee, each containing 84 K-Cups, with a best-by date of 17 November 2026. (Frisco, Texas, US)

• Thu, 29 Jan – Nestlé announces two global collaborations to scale regenerative agriculture. Partnerships with The Nature Conservancy and Goodwall will pilot regenerative farming models, expand farmer training and youth engagement, and scale sourcing with measurable targets for biodiversity and farmer income, Nestlé says. (Vevey, Switzerland)

• Thu, 29 Jan – Coffee Holding reports full-year sales up 23% to US$96.3m. Net income fell to US$0.25 per share. Tariffs and an underperforming Empire Coffee integration dented profits, prompting facility closures and expected annual savings of US$750k–$1m. (New York City, New York, US)

• Fri, 30 Jan – illycaffè becomes the official coffee supplier of Valencia CF. The heritage Italian brand will supply espresso blends, provide barista training, operate in-stadium outlets, and launch co-branded fan activations and retail packs to enhance matchday hospitality and merchandising. (Valencia, Spain)

• Fri, 30 Jan – JDE Peet’s launches Nature Transition Plan. A science-based roadmap aligned with TNFD, GBF, and SBTN targets an additional 200,000 ha of regenerative coffee by 2030 and 100% responsibly sourced green coffee by 2028, building on Common Grounds farmer programmes. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)

Businesses for sale

• Wed, 28 Jan – Odeko acquires District Distribution and partners with Union Kitchen. The move expands Odeko’s Mid-Atlantic footprint, gives local suppliers access to its national ordering platform, 24/7 support, financing and broader distribution channels, and creates scaling opportunities for emerging food and beverage brands. (New York City, New York, US)

New launch

• Mon, 26 Jan – 200 Degrees highlights Yunnan guest coffee for Chinese New Year. The UK roaster released a limited-edition yeast-fermentation coffee sourced from Banka Farm near the Myanmar border, with a balanced apple, lime, and brown sugar profile. (Nottingham, UK)

• Mon, 26 Jan – Yes Coffee launches 111 Cans – Coffee Chronicles project. The project brings together independent Chilean artists and illustrators, specialty coffee brands and roasters, and local coffee communities. Each edition will feature a different artist and specialty coffee brand, reflecting a different level of the supply chain and coffee’s cultural impact. There will be 11 limited-edition releases, each one with 111 cans. (Santiago, Chile)

• Tue, 27 Jan – Melitta North America opens state-of-the-art M-Lab in New Jersey. The new facility will serve as a hub for product innovation, sensory research and brewing science, enhancing R&D capabilities and supporting quality development across Melitta’s coffee portfolio, the company says. (Cherry Hill, New Jersey, US)

• Wed, 28 Jan – Espressolab launches in East Asia with Bali debut. The Turkish specialty coffee chain opened its Bali outlet as part of a rapid global expansion targeting 1,000 stores by 2027, leveraging tourist hotspots and regional footholds. (Bali, Indonesia)

• Thu, 29 Jan – Bacardí and Bigface Coffee expand Rum Room Domino Club. The event featured the Café Con Ocho cocktail, custom domino tables, a residency at Square’s Corner Store through mid-April, co-branded merchandise, and an appearance by NBA star and Bigface founder Jimmy Butler. (San Francisco, California, US)

• Fri, 30 Jan – Dripos unveils major rebrand and new industry publication. New visual identity and website support a push to deepen ties with independent cafés. Counter Talk will publish industry features and resources. (New York City, New York, US)

• Fri, 30 Jan – Reborn Coffee completes flagship presence at Tencent headquarters in Shenzhen. The new site offers retail, office coffee services, and a roasting lab, supporting brand visibility, corporate accounts, and supply chain testing to underpin planned rollouts. (Shenzhen, China)

Milestone

• Mon, 26 Jan – Ellianos Coffee recognised on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list. The brand’s inclusion reflects sustained unit growth, strong system sales and operational momentum, supporting franchising appeal and strategic expansion in competitive US markets, according to the company. (Tampa, Florida, US)

• Tue, 27 Jan – Groupe SEB confirms its high EcoVadis score. The company maintained a high sustainability score from EcoVadis, reflecting improved performance in environmental management, ethical practices, and social responsibility across its global operations. (Écully, France)

• Wed, 28 Jan – Barista Coffee hits 500th café milestone in Patna. The new outlet brings the network to over 165 cities, marking 26 years since the first store in Delhi, and narrows the gap with Tata Starbucks. Analysts say market leadership hinges on fast execution and price competitiveness. (Mumbai, India)

• Thu, 29 Jan – Anno Robot secures more than 500 global deals for its kiosks. Presented at CES, the AI latte-art and printing kiosk can run 24/7, serve over 300 cups/day, offer personalised prints, and was shown alongside a mini AI robotic bartender for unmanned retail. (Shenzhen, China)

Trade & production

• Mon, 26 Jan – Brazil arabica producers expect stable to higher output in 2026; conilon producers foresee a drop. Arabica farmers in key regions, such as Cerrado Mineiro, project this year’s harvest will match or modestly exceed last year’s crop if weather remains favourable, while conilon growers in Espírito Santo anticipate lower yields, reflecting uneven prospects across the country. (São Paulo, Brazil)

• Tue, 27 Jan – Jamaica launches US$15m project to empower women coffee farmers. The government-funded Women in Coffee Support Project will provide targeted assistance to female farmers to boost productivity, strengthen their participation in the supply chain, and support entrepreneurship in the country’s coffee sector. (Kingston, Jamaica)

• Tue, 27 Jan – Minas Gerais government explores partnership with the Czech Republic on geospatial data for coffee farming. Officials are evaluating collaboration to apply satellite and mapping technologies to optimise coffee plantation planning, improve yield forecasting, enhance precision agriculture, and support data-driven decision-making for producers. (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)

• Wed, 28 Jan – Brazilian coffee exports reach 1.68 million bags in the first half of January. Early trade figures show strong shipment momentum at the start of the year, reflecting port activity and global demand ahead of the mid-season harvest. (São Paulo, Brazil)

• Thu, 29 Jan – Cecafé says Brazilian coffee exporters ended 2025 with R$66.1m in logistical losses. Bottlenecks at major Brazilian ports caused delays, additional storage and container costs, and prevented about 1,824 containers of coffee from being shipped each month on average, reducing revenue and export efficiency. (São Paulo, Brazil)

• Fri, 30 Jan – Togo’s coffee and cocoa committee urges shared sacrifice amid plunging prices. Prices tumbled from about 5,000 to near 2,000 CFA/kg, leaving large unsold stocks. Volatility followed last year’s surge, with climate stress and ageing plantations cited as key drivers. (Lomé, Togo)

Research

• Mon, 26 Jan – Stingless bees boost arabica yields in Brazil by 67% in field trials. Field trials on six arabica farms found branches within 50 m of Scaptotrigona depiliscolonies produced 67% more fruit. Colonies placed at 10/ha showed healthy brood despite prior label-compliant neonicotinoid use, indicating practical pollinator management can raise yields sustainably. (São Paulo, Brazil)

Events & competitions

• Mon, 26 Jan – Malaysian International Food & Beverage Trade Fair (MIFB) and Malaysia Café Expo 2026 to take place from 15 to 17 July. More than 13,000 visitors and 520 exhibitors from over 85 countries are expected to attend MIFB, while 150 companies and 5,000 attendees will take part in the Malaysia Café Expo. The event will host the will also host the 2026 Malaysian Barista, Latte Art, Brewers Cup, and Cup Tasters Championships. (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

• Tue, 27 Jan – International India Coffee Festival expands 2026 programme. The second edition will take place in Marakata from 12 to 14 Feb, targeting 20,000 visitors with a full farm-to-cup experience, national championships, cuppings, brewing education, and an innovation hub focused on technology, skills, and business development. (Marakata, India)

• Tue, 27 Jan – Rhea wins 2025 Good Design Award with Barista on Demand. The automated coffee station delivers customised beverages via an intuitive interface, combining mobility, operational efficiency, and sustainability to support flexible retail formats and enhance hospitality experiences. (Milan, Italy)

• Thu, 29 Jan – Jazan celebrates Saudi Arabia’s coffee culture and storytelling. A three-day public event combined literature and coffee, offering workshops on specialty coffee preparation, interactive art with coffee cups, and hands-on training in brewing and machine use to engage people of all ages in cultural and coffee experiences. (Jazan, Saudi Arabia)

• Wed, 28 Jan – San Antonio Coffee Festival returns to Civic Park at Hemisfair. The event on 7 February brings together local roasters, cafés, and food vendors, featuring tastings, live music, and educational activities to highlight the city’s coffee culture and small businesses. (San Antonio, Texas, US)

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

• Thu, 22 Jan – Tatu Coffee wins top Kenya quality awards. The producer’s micro lots excelled in sensory and post-harvest categories, strengthening market reputation, boosting buyer interest, and supporting export prospects. (Nairobi, Kenya)

• Thu, 22 Jan – Eighty jobs impacted as Synge & Byrne ceases trading. The chain has closed multiple outlets and laid off 80 staff. Administrators cited unsustainable costs and weak footfall and have notified redundancy support and local employment services. (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

• Fri, 23 Jan – Paulig supplier forum brought together 160+ global partners. The event convened suppliers from multiple regions to discuss sustainability targets, quality improvement, supply chain collaboration, and innovation priorities to support coffee and related categories across Paulig’s portfolio. (Helsinki, Finland)

Photo credits: 200 Degrees Coffee, Yunnan Coffee Traders

Sign up to our weekly coffee news recap to get a summary of all the biggest stories in the sector, delivered straight to your inbox every Monday.

Want to keep up with current affairs in the coffee industry? Check out last week’s coffee news stories and make sure to read Coffee Intelligence’s latest article on whether intentional service can deliver more value to consumers.

The post Coffee News Recap, 30 Jan: Onyx Coffee Lab named James Beard Award semi-finalist, Peru’s 2025 coffee exports achieved record sales & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.