Coffee News Recap, 11 Sep: Global Coffee Awards announce best roasters in US & Canada, Uganda and South Korea sign landmark coffee deal & other stories

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

Editor’s note

Uganda has signed a landmark coffee agreement with South Korea, positioning Besmark Coffee Company as the country’s exclusive supplier and GVCC Co. as sole distributor across the Korean market. 

Under the memorandum, GVCC’s chief executive Soo-jung Lim wants to import one 20-tonne container daily, reaching roughly 3,500 tonnes annually. Busan will serve as a processing hub, with plans to redistribute into Japan and Southeast Asia.

Elsewhere, the Global Coffee Awards have crowned the top roasters in the US and Canada, following regional competitions in MENA, Africa, and Asia earlier this year. With North America being one of the most mature specialty coffee markets in the world, it was the GCA’s most diverse edition yet.

Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters in Colorado took the overall win. Cafe Kreyol from Virginia, Luckys Coffee Roasters from California, New York’s Soul Cafe Coffee Roasters, and Pulp Coffee from Texas also picked up top honours.

Entries for the Global Coffee Awards Europe are still open, and all entries must be received by 21 October.

On 18 & 19 March 2027, the Africa, MENA, Asia, and US & Canada winners will compete against roasters from Latin America and Europe to decide the World’s Best Roaster.

Top stories of the week

• Mon, 7 Sep – Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau erupts, spreading volcanic ash into Lampung province and Jakarta. Seven airports in Indonesia were shut down, but have since been reopened. Anak Krakatau is an active volcano about 150 km from Jakarta, near the coffee-producing regions of Lampung and Sumatra. Six Indonesian volcanoes erupted within 24 hours on August 31, 2026, including Anak Krakatau, Semeru, Sinabung, Ibu, Ili Lewotolok, and Lewotobi Laki-laki, causing widespread ashfall and major disruptions to air travel. (Jakarta, Indonesia)

• Tue, 8 Sep – Uganda strengthens coffee trade with South Korea, targeting 3,500 tonnes annually. Uganda’s Besmark Coffee Company Ltd. and Busan-based GVCC Co. Ltd. signed an MoU. Under the arrangement, Besmark will serve as Uganda’s exclusive supply partner, while GVCC will act as the exclusive distributor of Ugandan coffee in South Korea. The parties would negotiate import volumes and prices through separate commercial agreements. (Kampala, Uganda)

• Wed, 9 Sep – Starbucks plans US$1bn in upgrades for North American coffee shops. The chain plans to remodel some stores into community lounges with leather armchairs, rugs, bookshelves, softer lighting, and more comfortable seating, aiming to increase time spent in its cafés. The move indicates the clear success of CEO Brian Niccol’s Back to Starbucks vision. (Seattle, Washington, US)

• Thu, 10 Sep – Jollibee drops US listing in favour of Hong Kong. The Philippine fast food giant plans to spin off and list its international operations on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange instead of its earlier plans to list on a US stock exchange. Hong Kong has become one of the world’s busiest venues for new share sales this year, as improving investor sentiment and robust demand ​encourage technology and ​manufacturing companies to ⁠raise capital. (Manila, Philippines)

• Fri, 11 Sep – Joe Coffee & Cometeer partner with US airline JetBlue. As part of the airline’s ‘BlueFirst’ strategy, it will offer Joe Coffee’s Cometeer frozen coffee capsules. Premium coffee is increasingly seen as a first-class perk by major airlines globally, making the segment an opportune sales channel for specialty coffee operators. (New York City, New York, US)

Industry news

• Mon, 7 Sep – India’s Third Wave Coffee names Sanjay Dutta as the new CTO. Dutta will lead TWC’s technology strategy, with a focus on building scalable tech platforms, strengthening digital capabilities, and enhancing tech infrastructure to support the brand’s next phase of growth. (Bengaluru, India)

• Tue, 8 Sep – Lavazza signs multi-year deal with Toronto International Film Festival. Lavazza strengthens its presence in the North Americas, signing a multi-year agreement with the Toronto International Film Festival, becoming the Gala’s Presenting Partner and Official Coffee Partner through 2028. The new agreement marks the deepest chapter yet in a partnership that began in 2023, adding the role of Gala Presenting Partner to Lavazza’s existing status as Official Coffee Partner and introducing the first-ever Lavazza Bar on the TIFF Red Carpet. (Toronto, Canada)

• Tue, 8 Sep – Twenty new trainees join the PROBAT Group worldwide. PROBAT Group, along with the Works Council, welcomes 20 young professionals as trainees across several locations, including the Netherlands, Brazil, Scotland, and several locations in Germany. Over the coming years, they will gain comprehensive knowledge in technical, commercial, and IT-related disciplines. (Emmerich, Germany)

• Wed, 9 Sep – Court rejects most anti‑union claims against Starbucks, upholds maternity leave threat. US appeals judges narrowed the NLRB’s anti‑unionisation case against Starbucks, rejecting most claims of threats and surveillance. The court upheld only one violation: a threat to deny maternity leave benefits to a pregnant worker if employees unionised. The ruling marks a partial win for Starbucks amid ongoing battles with unions at hundreds of stores nationwide. (Seattle, Washington, US)

• Wed, 9 Sep – Dancing Goat Coffee becomes the first Egyptian coffee brand to go international. Egypt’s largest specialty coffee brand, Dancing Goat with 27 outlets primarily in Cairo, is now expanding beyond Egypt, opening its first store in Beirut, Lebanon. To celebrate the expansion, Dancing Goat is hosting a giveaway, giving one coffee enthusiast a chance to fly to Lebanon to visit the brand’s new store in Beirut. (Cairo, Egypt)

New launch

• Mon, 7 Sep – South Korea’s Twosome Place enters the US market. The chain opened its first store in Alexandria, Virginia, marking the next chapter in its 25-year history. Since opening its first café in Seoul in 2002, Twosome Place has grown to more than 1,750 locations. (Alexandria, Virginia, US)

• Mon, 7 Sep – Starbucks partners with Toulouse FC for shirt sleeve branding. The Starbucks logo will feature on the sleeve of the men’s first-team shirts and those of the academy sides. Starbucks will also have a presence at the stadium on match days with exclusive events for supporters. (Toulouse, France)

• Tue, 8 Sep – Filipino coffee chain, Coffee Buddy enters the Indian market, targets 130 stores in two years. Coffee Buddy has opened its first outlet in Mumbai after securing the master franchise rights for the country. The coffee chain is adopting a franchise-led growth model in India and is offering unit franchise opportunities across the country. The company is focusing on a compact kiosk format designed for high streets, shopping malls and commercial locations. (Mumbai, India)

• Tue, 8 Sep – Braun Household launches the OptiBrew line of next-gen drip coffee makers. Drawing on over 100 years of German engineering and functional design legacy, Braun Household launched its new OptiBrew line of next-gen drip coffee makers. The lineup is powered by Braun’s ExactBrew Technology, a smart brewing system that automatically calibrates time and temperature. (Frankfurt, Germany)

• Wed, 9 Sep – Segafredo Caffe expands presence in Indonesia. The Italian coffee brand is accelerating its development in Indonesia, with PT Indo Boga Sukses Tbk. While Indonesia has had Segafredo Zanetti Espresso locations since the late 2010s, the first Segafredo Caffe opened at the Soekarno-Hatta international airport. A new flagship is being developed in Yogyakarta, while a store in Bali is set to open in March 2027. (Jakarta, Indonesia)

Milestone

• Tue, 8 Sep – COFE Tech secures a pre-IPO investment ahead of the Saudi IPO. The AI-powered coffee ordering app is valued at US$178m. The latets funding round was co-led by Wa’ed Ventures, the venture capital arm of Aramco, and Aditum Investment Management, regional fund partner to global asset managers including BlackRock, alongside Masarrah Investment Company and Alyasra Foods. The investment puts COFE Tech, dubbed the ‘Salesforce of MENA,’ on course for a targeted IPO on the Saudi Exchange by 2029. (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

• Wed, 9 Sep – Romanian coffee chain 5 to Go’s first investor exits. Bucharest-based Mozaik Investments had acquired a 35% stake in the Romanian coffee chain in 2019. Over the years, Mozaik reduced its stake to 10%, which is now picked up by Invenio Partners from Bulgaria and ACP from Poland. With this, Invenio and ACP will control 70% of 5 to Go, a network under which about 800 locations operate today. (Bucharest, Romania)

• Thu, 10 Sep – UK’s Black Sheep Coffee opens its first drive-thru. The new drive-thru located at Townsmoor Retail Park in Blackburn will offer Black Sheep’s full menu of specialty coffee, matcha drinks, smoothies, pastries, and cakes to takeaway. The drive-thru is built and run by a Lancashire-based franchise team. Black Sheep grows almost entirely through multi-unit franchise agreements. (Blackburn, UK)

Trade & production

• Mon, 7 Sep – Arabica prices fall below US$3/lb, while robusta hit its lowest level since early June. The meteorological summer draws to a close in the northern hemisphere have coffee markets cooling down after two months of heightened volatility, with supply pressures easing. From their 24 August highs, ICE Arabica and ICE Robusta have shed 13.5% and 9.8% respectively, ending Friday 3 September at US 295.60 cents (December) and US $3,430 (November).

• Tue, 8 Sep – ICE reports August 2026 statistics. The total average daily volume is up 14% y/y and open interest is up 19% y/y. Coffee open interest is up 5% y/y. (New York City, New York, US)

Research

• Tue, 8 Sep – Climate change poses growing risks to coffee producers in Uganda. The new study finds that policies to strengthen climate adaptation among smallholder coffee farmers should prioritise farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange, training, and access to basic farm tools. Additionally, findings caution against treating broad livelihood-capital categories as internally homogeneous because constituent resources may have different or opposing relationships with adaptation. (Kampala, Uganda)

• Wed, 9 Sep – Nespresso UK finds autumn flavors help businesses elevate office culture and team connection. According to new research from Nespresso focusing on the UK, the coffee break is becoming the ultimate tool for the ‘post summer holiday’ office reset with nearly two thirds (64%) of respondents excited for autumn’s arrival. The data highlights Brits are ready for the return of autumn routines and for 58% of employees, workplace coffee rituals provide an essential reset after the summer break. (London, UK)

• Thu, 10 Sep – Coffee aroma can improve mood. Coffee aroma exposure for five minutes improved mood significantly in 20 healthy adults, reducing fatigue, tension-anxiety, confusion and depression-dejection. EEG showed increased relaxation. Heart rate and heart rate variability showed no significant change. Mood, brain, and cardiovascular measures didn’t correlate. Larger, controlled studies are needed to confirm findings. (Tokyo, Japan)

Events & competitions

• Mon, 7 Sep – Africa Cocoa and Coffee Conference to take place in Lagos. The Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COCEFAAA), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, and other collaborating partners, is set to host the Africa Cocoa and Coffee Conference on 7 & 8 October 2026 at NECA House, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. (Lagos, Nigeria)

• Tue, 8 Sep – Mexico announces new Barista and Brewers Cup Champions. Kevin Samaniego from Cafecito Llorón won the Mexico Barista Championship. He will represent Mexico in the World Barista Championship in Panama next month. Gloria Sofia Hernandez won the Brewers Cup Championship, and will represent Mexico at the 2027 World Brewers Championship in Colombia. (Mexico City, Mexico)

• Tue, 8 Sep – DRWakefield Coffee brings back Thirsty Thursday events. Cupping and Conversation with DRWakefield and World Coffee Research will mark the comeback of the Thirsty Thursday events. The event will be held at White Label Coffee North in Amsterdam on 17 September. (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

• Thu, 10 Sep – US Barista Championship 2027 schedule announced. The qualifier for the US Barista Championship 2027 season will be held from 30 October to 1 November (South/Central) in Houston, Texas and 19 to 21 November (West) in San Diego, California. The National Championships will be held from 28 to 31 January 2027 in Franklin, Tennessee.

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

• Tue, 1 Sep – Brazil 2026/27 arabica harvest nears completion. The arabica harvest in most Brazilian producing regions is nearing completion, with activities advancing at a faster pace than previous weeks, favoured by dry weather. However, the pace lags behind that in 2025, when the harvest was already completed in most regions by this time. (Minas Gerais, Brazil)

Photo credits: Slow Pour Supply, Flannery Lenz

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