On April 25, 2014, the Financial Times reported that coffee prices had reached a “26-month high,” with bags of Arabica coffee costing an average of $2.09 per pound for wholesalers. The price hikes were due to droughts in Brazil (where much of the world’s Arabica is grown), and coffee growers warn that the bad weather is likely to affect next year’s coffee prices as well. Ouch.

As if higher prices weren’t bad enough, coffee experts are also predicting that the current supply will be unable to met demand…and that’s bad news for your business. Or is it? This article will explain coffee basics, and makes some recommendations about how your restaurant or bar can leverage the coffee price hikes to your advantage. Read more