Yemeni Coffee Shop Boom + No-Tip Reversal

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Exploring the Yemeni Coffee Shop Boom in the U.S.

A Fast Company Middle East feature by Shaistha Khan examines how Yemeni coffee shops are expanding across North America and reaching beyond diaspora communities into mainstream cafe culture. The piece highlights their role as community-driven, late-night, alcohol-free gathering spaces. Khan reported that around 30 Yemeni coffee brands are now operating in the U.S. while “expanding at a pace that contrasts with the stagnation of global coffee brands.” The piece does not note that a significant share of this growth has been through franchising. 

Kansas City Cafe Reverses No-Tipping Policy

Kansas City, Missouri-based coffee shop Take Care has reversed its no-tipping policy, with co-owner Christopher Oppenhuis saying that the shift has helped staff earn more while easing pressure on menu prices, according to according to a Kansas City Star report.

Longtime Copywriter Launches Firm to Help Specialty Coffee Brands

Montreal-based copywriter and creative director Nick Usborne has launched Bean & Brand, a boutique creative focused on helping independent specialty coffee companies. In addition to a decades-long advertising career in which he has worked with clients such as Disney, Reuters, Citibank and The New York Times, Usborne is behind the coffee review site Coffee Detective.

Wonderstate CEO Wonders When Tariff Refunds Might Come

In a recent PBS Wisconsin interview, Wisconsin-based Wonderstate Coffee CEO TJ Semanchin discussed how tariffs on imported coffee have affected the business and how the company is pursuing refunds through the court-ordered federal claims process.

Hawaii Coffee Association Opens Conference Registration for Maui Event

Registration is now open for the Hawaii Coffee Association’s 31st Annual Conference, Trade Show and 17th Annual Best of Hawai’i Competition, scheduled for July 29-Aug. 1 at Maui College in Kahului.

International Coffee Tasting 2026 Registration Opens

Registrations are now open for the 18th edition of International Coffee Tasting, the competition organized by IIAC, the International Institute of Coffee Tasters. Organizers said products entered in the event will compete for Gold Medals and receive business-oriented evaluation tools such as sensory profiles and market benchmarks.

Chamberlain Coffee Opens First Storefront in Venice Beach

Influencer Emma Chamberlain’s coffee brand, Chamberlain Coffee, is opening its first full-scale brick-and-mortar location on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice Beach, California, this spring, according to a Santa Monica Mirror report.

Minnesota’s Bizzy Cold Brew Pushes Further Into Grocery

A Star Tribune report profiles Brooklyn Center, Minnesota-based Bizzy Cold Brew as it expands production and retail distribution. The report notes Bizzy’s debut on Amazon in 2015 as one of the first cold brew concentrates and said the brand is now competing with larger cold-coffee brands such as Starbucks.

Luckin Posts 35.3% Revenue Growth, Opens 2,500+ Stores in Q1

China-based Luckin Coffee reported first-quarter 2026 net revenue of $1.7356 billion, up 35.3% year over year, alongside 2,548 net new store openings that brought its total store count to 33,596. The company also announced its first share repurchase program, authorizing up to $300 million over one year.

Starbucks Posts Healthy Q2 Fiscal Year Growth

Seattle-based Starbucks reported that global comparable store sales rose 6.2% in its 13-week fiscal second quarter, while consolidated net revenue increased 9% to $9.5 billion. The company said it ended the quarter with 41,129 stores globally after 11 net new store openings.

ICYMI

Here are some of DCN’s top stories from the past week…

The Federal Portal for Tariff Refunds is Now Open

After months of uncertainty, green coffee importers can now formally file claims through the federal government’s tariff refund portal… read more

New Commercial Cafe Equipment from World of Coffee San Diego

Over three days before an audience of more than 17,000 visitors at World of Coffee in San Diego, companies and brands from around the world rolled out new tools and gadgets designed for weighing, grinding, brewing and serving hot and cold coffee drinks in professional settings… read more

New Manual Pourover Brewers from World of Coffee San Diego

The act of hand-pouring hot water over a bed of ground coffee seems simple enough. Yet year after year, more manual pourover brewers emerge to challenge the established pathways — both literal and figurative — to brewing coffee… read more

The New Pinecone Redwood Production Grinder Stands Tall

Among a forest of new roastery products at the recent World of Coffee San Diego trade show, a new large-scale production coffee grinder called the Redwood dropped courtesy of Swiss manufacturer Pinecone… read more

Nestlé Confirms Blue Bottle Sale to Luckin’s Largest Shareholder

Nestlé has confirmed that it is selling Blue Bottle Coffee to Chinese private equity firm Centurium Capital, the majority shareholder of Luckin Coffee, marking the first direct confirmation from any of the companies involved that a sales agreement was reached… read more

Lawsuit Says Trader Joe’s “Low Acid” Coffee Was Too Low on Caffeine

A federal class action filed last week alleges that Trader Joe’s has been deceptively marketing its “French Roast Low Acid” whole bean coffee as fully caffeinated when lab testing showed levels closer to half-caff… read more

Researchers Propose Electrifying Way to Measure Brew Strength and Roast Color

A major breakthrough in the scientific community’s quest to “taste” coffee without all those pesky humans getting in the way came this week courtesy of a group at the University of Oregon… read more

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