Coffee News Roundup: Week Ending April 26th
AI is now creating coffee blends for some reason.
Another week, another fresh batch of coffee news:
Coffee and grocery store chain Foxtrot abruptly closed down, putting hundreds out of work with very little notice. While the company gave no reason for the sudden closure and possible bankruptcy, reports suggested that that the company had missed sales targets and had conducted previous rounds of layoffs in 2022 and 2023. As one employee quoted by Modern Retail put it, “It just sucks that the poor decisions of a few people in executive leadership impacted hundreds of employees.”
A Finnish coffee roastery has used AI to create a custom blend in order to “[push] the boundaries of conventional flavor combinations.” Managing director Svante Hampf was pleased with the trial. “I think AI has plenty to offer us in the long run. We are particularly impressed of the coffee taste descriptions it created.” (As a coffee roaster myself, I have thoughts about this. I’m planning a series on AI in coffee so I’ll keep those thoughts to myself until then 🤐)
Starbucks lost its appeal against the formation of a union at its flagship Seattle Reserve Roastery. Workers voted to unionize in 2022, but Starbucks took issue with the National Labor Relations Board’s use of mail-in voting during a spike in COVID-19 cases. The appeals court sided with the NLRB, meaning Starbucks must now recognise the union (or try appealing the ruling to the Supreme Court).
To read more, check out the full Roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:
If you missed it, you can catch up on my latest piece—a deep dive into the history of the Indian Coffee House:
Until next week, it’s goodbye from Merlin (it’s currently bucketing down as I write this, so here’s a photo from last week when it almost felt like Spring—and yes, our garden is on a cliff):
