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Constant sensationalism about the cost of a cup of coffee may generate clicks, but that’s where the benefit ends. It does little to explain the commercial realities behind that price – and worse, it can make sustainable pricing more difficult for the very businesses consumers expect to deliver better coffee, pay people fairly and invest in quality.
Columnists
Spotlight
For all the innovation that has shaped the coffee sector over the past two decades, its most influential product may also have been its simplest. As the industry continues searching for its next phase of growth, an important question emerges: does specialty coffee need another drink capable of doing what the flat white once did?
Private label roasting can strengthen short-term profitability, but it may come at the expense of long-term brand growth.
While younger consumers represent significant future spending power, some industry professionals believe highly visible trends are being mistaken for reliable forecasts of demand. However, the bigger forces shaping the future of coffee may not be whatever is trending on TikTok – but deeper demographic, cultural, and economic shifts.
While coffee and beer remain fundamentally different products, some industry professionals believe the trajectory of craft beer offers valuable lessons for specialty coffee. However, the greatest warning may not be oversaturation or declining demand – but what happens when consumers eventually stop chasing novelty.
The "coffee hunter" narrative can oversimplify how sourcing works. While buyers and roasters may become the public face of a coffee, a large network of people often contributes to its selection long before it appears on a cupping table.
Coffee businesses are increasingly prioritising experience, reliability, and operational competence as labour pressures intensify.
Shipping disruptions, higher freight costs, reduced tourism, delayed projects, and growing uncertainty are creating new challenges for GCC coffee businesses accustomed to rapid expansion.
While staff turnover has long been part of hospitality, many coffee businesses argue it is becoming increasingly difficult to build stable teams capable of supporting long-term growth.
