Coffee News Recap, 6 Mar: Luckin backer reportedly acquires Blue Bottle, Germany overtakes US as Brazil’s biggest coffee buyer & other stories

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

Editor’s note

Centurium Capital, the main stakeholder in coffee giant Luckin, has agreed to acquire Blue Bottle for just under US$400m, according to multiple Chinese media outlets. Neither party has publicly confirmed the deal. Under the reported terms, Centurium will take on Blue Bottle’s physical café locations, while Nestlé keeps the consumer packaged goods side of the business, covering instant coffee and ready-to-drink products.

Nestlé bought a majority stake in Blue Bottle back in 2017 for roughly US$425m, valuing the brand at over US$700m at the time. The purchase was part of a broader trend of multinational companies acquiring specialty roasters during the mid-2010s, as larger players sought entry into the premium coffee segment by buying established third wave brands.

The recent reported sale follows the same logic, though from a different angle. Luckin reached 31,040 stores globally by the end of 2025 and has already expanded into the US and other key East Asian markets. Buying Blue Bottle would give Luckin a recognised premium brand without the time and cost of building a specialty coffee division from scratch, extending its reach beyond the value-focused segment where it has concentrated its growth so far.

For now, the coffee industry awaits final confirmation of the deal.

Top stories of the week

• Mon, 2 Mar – Wenbo Yang is the 2026 US Roasters Champion. Yang, of Washington State’s Story Coffee Bellevue and Cozy Monster Coffee, placed first at the competition, which was hosted at Roastronix. Peter Shim of Olympia Coffee placed second, and Desolate Coffee’s Alex Huang came third. (Houston, Texas, US)

• Tue, 3 Mar – Germany overtakes the US as Brazil’s biggest coffee buyer following tariff fallout. The latest Cecafé figures show about 5.4m 60kg bags shipped to Germany in 2025, while US volumes fell by 33% after steep tariffs were enforced last year. Exporters say the shift could reverse once trade stabilises. (São Paulo, Brazil)

• Wed, 4 Mar – Strait of Hormuz closure disrupts global fertiliser trade, affecting coffee producers. Passage through the waterway has halted since conflict between Iran and the US-Israel started on 28 Feb. Up to a third of the world’s raw materials for fertiliser production pass through the strait, as well as a fifth of its crude oil and gas. Vessels are rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, raising shipping and insurance costs. (London, UK)

• Wed, 4 Mar – Luckin Coffee’s biggest stakeholder reportedly acquires Blue Bottle for US$400m. Under the reported terms, Centurium will take on Blue Bottle’s physical café locations, while Nestlé keeps the consumer packaged goods side of the business, covering instant coffee and ready-to-drink products. Neither party has publicly confirmed the deal. (Hong Kong, China)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Royal Cup Coffee and Tea to acquire Farmer Bros. The coffee and tea manufacturer and distributor has agreed to acquire Farmer Brothers Coffee, a national coffee roaster, wholesaler and distributor, for US$1.29 per share, expanding its national foodservice and retail channels. Both companies share 250 years of combined industry experience. (Birmingham, Alabama, US)

• Fri, 6 Mar – MTPak Coffee announces World’s Greatest Coffee Packaging finalists. Living Millennially, Vero Café, Paso Paso, Girls Who Grind Coffee, and Ember Goods are the five finalists. The winner will be announced at PRF El Salvador, taking place on 26 & 27 March, on MTPak Coffee’s World’s Greatest Coffee Packaging mural.

Industry news

• Mon, 2 Mar – RBI sets 2028 growth targets for Tim Hortons. The group expects the brand to deliver a 5% increase in net restaurant growth and contribute to an 8% increase in organic-adjusted operating income, backed by renewed Canadian openings, around 100 annual new North American locations, and stronger international rollout and performance. (Toronto, Canada)

• Tue, 3 Mar – Caffe Ladro partners with KUOW for the Coffee for Good initiative. The collab will run until 30 April. During this period, US$3 from every bag sold of the specialty blend will be donated to Seattle’s NPR member station to support independent local journalism. (Seattle, Washington, US)

• Tue, 3 Mar – Bluewater USA named water partner for US Coffee Championships. The company will supply Café Station units that enable competitors to purify and tailor TDS and mineral profiles. The equipment debuted at the US Coffee Roasters Championship, supporting flavour consistency and quality control. (Houston, Texas, US)

• Wed, 4 Mar – Greggs commits to 120 new stores in 2026. Sales rose 6.8% to £2.15bn in 2025 while underlying pre-tax profit fell to £171.9m. The CEO cited weak consumer confidence. Expansion will rely on a strong pipeline, relocations, and format trials as the chain looks to expand to over 3,000 locations. (Newcastle, UK)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Sevengrams spotlights Milan’s coffee revolution. New café serves fruit-forward micro-lots, immersive coffee tastings, and educational sessions to broaden appreciation of specialty espresso, experimental processing, and lighter roast profiles. (Milan, Italy)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Starbucks to open 100 new UK stores. The investment will prioritise café upgrades, drive-thru expansion, and digital services. Executives cite inflation, supply, and staffing risks as they pursue a wider EMEA rollout and a cautious growth strategy. (London, UK)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Costa Coffee commits £3.5m to Scotland expansion at 200-store milestone. Investment will fund up to 10 new outlets in key high-footfall locations and create more than 70 jobs, while refurbishing long-standing cafés to enhance capacity and service as part of wider regional growth. (Edinburgh, UK)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Nothing Before Coffee raises US$400,000 in India’s startup funding reality show. The Jaipur coffee chain secured the investment after appearing on “Bharat Ke Super Founders,” where it received backing from investors including Dr A. Velumani and Nitish Mittersain. The funds will support the brand’s expansion goal of reaching 160 stores by December 2026. (Jaipur, India)

• Fri, 6 Mar – FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective appoints new CEO as it continues acquisition spree. Long-serving hospitality executive Justin Seamonds joins FairWave, which hasn’t publicly named a CEO since the departure of founder Dan Trott in 2023. (Kansas City, Missouri, US)

• Fri, 6 Mar – Oatly invests US$16m in Swedish research campus. The oat milk company is building a new facility in Lund to study oats and sustainable food. The project aims to find new ways to use the grain for milk alternatives. (Lund, Sweden)

• Fri, 6 Mar – Lavazza strikes partnership with Qantas Airlines. The collaboration will provide premium blends to Qantas’ business and first-class passengers starting in 2026. The agreement follows a similar deal with American Airlines and aims to combine Italian coffee heritage with Australian hospitality. (Sydney, Australia)

• Fri, 6 Mar – WeWork rolls out Volcano Coffee Works’ Rise Up blend to all UK co-working spaces. The coffee used in the UK roaster’s blend supports over 15,000 women from an all-female cooperative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, paying 195% over Fair Trade pricing. (London, UK)

Businesses for sale

• Mon, 2 Mar – Caffè Nero’s acquisition of Compass Coffee approved by the US court. Sale transfers Compass cafés, flagship Washington roastery, and leases to the UK buyer after a US$4.7m winning bid. Caffè Nero intends to use the purchase to strengthen its foothold in the US. (Washington, DC, US)

• Mon, 2 Mar – Egypt’s Brown Nose Coffee to sell majority stake to B Investments. The phased deal starts with 25% for US$7.2m, with follow-on tranches to lift ownership above 50% and secure control. Funds will back retail expansion, roasting capacity, and supply chain scaling. (Cairo, Egypt)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Jollibee Foods weighs Vietnam IPO for Highlands Coffee. Advisors are reportedly exploring listing options for the chain. The parent company is assessing strategic and capital-raising benefits, while no final decision or timetable has been set. (Manila, Philippines)

New launch

• Mon, 2 Mar – IHOP launches proprietary coffee blend. The blend, including Brazilian beans, was developed with a third party after guest feedback to improve beverage quality. The new launch supports IHOP’s premium innovation and value strategy. (Pasadena, California)

• Mon, 2 Mar – Starbucks launches new coffee & protein RTD line. The two 12-oz Classic Caffè and Caffè Mocha products each deliver 22g of protein, 5g of prebiotic fibre, and 2g of sugar. A nationwide product rollout will start on 23 March. (Seattle, Washington, US)

• Mon, 2 Mar – M2 Ingredients launches M2Brew mushroom ingredient. The functional powder is specifically engineered to be added straight to brewed coffee to maintain functional benefits at high temperatures. (Carlsbad, California, US)

• Tue, 3 Mar – Klatch Coffee launches the Mujeres De Café initiative. The limited release directs 20% of bag sales to Grounds For Health, supporting cervical cancer screening programmes in coffee-growing communities. (Rancho Cucamonga, California, US)

• Tue, 3 Mar – Verve launches three limited-edition women-grown coffees to celebrate International Women’s Day. Throughout March, Verve will donate a portion of proceeds from all sales of women-produced coffees to the International Women’s Coffee Alliance. The roaster has also partnered with women-owned spice company Diaspora Co. to launch the Golden Hour Matcha and Sunrise Tonic across all its cafés. (Santa Cruz, California, US)

• Tue, 3 Mar – Bulletproof introduces Coffee + Creatine instant coffee. The premium instant black formula contains 5g of creatine monohydrate and 250mg of electrolytes per serving. The powder mixes into hot or cold water and will debut at Natural Products Expo West. (Seattle, Washington, US)

• Wed, 4 Mar – Moccamaster launches limited-edition Sorbet machine, Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2026. Since 2024, Moccamaster has launched limited-run machines that match Pantone’s Colour of the Year selection. (Amerongen, the Netherlands)

• Wed, 4 Mar – Equal Origins partners with FAO for “Raise Your Cup” campaign. The non-profit invites traders, roasters, and consumers to spotlight women farmers via social posts and merch, aligning with the UN International Year for the Woman Farmer campaign. (Washington, DC, US)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Probat releases all-new Cx70 drum roaster. The roaster, which has a maximum capacity of 350 kg per hour, will debut at Hotelex Shanghai from 30 March to 2 April. The Cx70 also features an optional partial recirculation system that reuses residual heat, reducing the need for additional thermal energy and enabling energy savings of up to 20%. (Emmerich am Rhein, Germany)

• Thu, 5 Mar – BrainMood launches platform linking coffee, colour and mood. The independent platform maps coffee origins, species, and processing to colours, moods, and sensory perception as an educational tool. Founders say it offers an evolving dataset for research and collaboration. (Caguas, Puerto Rico)

• Fri, 6 Mar – New ESSPO RTD functional coffee brand launches. Backed by Refinery29 and Lonely Planet founder Philippe von Borries, the drink offers 120mg of caffeine and 240mg of L-Theanine per can and is available in three flavours: Classic Vanilla, Cherry Vanilla, and Sweet Lemon. (New York City, New York, US)

Milestone

• Mon, 2 Mar – JDE Peet’s announces sustainability milestones in Brazil. Its partnership with Global Coffee Platform established arabica and conilion demo plots, ran a seven-farm viability study in Minas Gerais, set 40 irrigation demos in Espírito Santo, and trained 159 extensionists under Common Grounds to scale regenerative practices and resilience. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)

• Wed, 4 Mar – Inoumi secures retail listings in Harrods and Selfridges. The powdered drinks brand achieved the milestone following its launch earlier this year by focusing on ingredient integrity and flavour quality. Both department stores will stock Inoumi’s ceremonial-grade matcha and pure mushroom blends. (Surrey, UK)

• Fri, 6 Mar – Scooter’s Coffee marks 900-store milestone. The franchise-led chain added 83 sites in 2025 and operates a vertically integrated supply network with six distribution centres, including a 183,000 sq ft hub opened in Indianapolis, to support further roll-out and the push toward 1,000 stores. (Omaha, Nebraska, US)

Trade & production

• Mon, 2 Mar – Vietnam coffee exports off to a strong start in 2026 amid record volumes. January shipments rose by more than 50% in volume and nearly 40% in value year-on-year, following a record 2025 export year of around 1.6m tonnes, worth about US$8.9bn. Official forecasts point to further growth as global demand persists. (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

• Mon, 2 Mar – Heavy rains in Minas Gerais’ Zona da Mata raise concerns. Above-normal rainfall has saturated soils and delayed harvesting and drying operations, with farmers and cooperatives warning of quality risks and processing bottlenecks if wet weather persists during critical post-harvest stages. (Juiz de Fora, Brazil)

• Tue, 3 Mar – Jamaica launches campaign to “demystify” coffee pricing for farmers. The programme will explain how global and domestic coffee prices, quality premiums, and costs shape farmgate returns, and will provide workshops, online tools, and stakeholder dialogues to improve price transparency and strengthen growers’ bargaining power. (Kingston, Jamaica)

• Tue, 3 Mar – Ethiopian minister urges a push on coffee exports over the next three months. The Agriculture chief called on producers and exporters to speed up shipments ahead of harvest, citing logistics windows and foreign exchange needs to maximise earnings before seasonal disruptions. (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

• Tue, 3 Mar – Robusta exports from Sumatra grow on higher supply. Indonesian customs data show increased shipments from the island’s ports as harvest volumes rise and coffee moves to major markets, with traders noting firm demand from Asia and Europe boosting flow. (Medan, Indonesia)

• Wed, 4 Mar – Ethiopia to boost regenerative agriculture in partnership with PepsiCo. National Geographic Society and PepsiCo’s Food for Tomorrow fund awarded five grants, including one to Hewan Degu to study microbial evidence for coffee-potato intercropping. The company aims to scale regenerative practices to 10 million acres by 2030. (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Coffee farming expands in Nepal as traders link producers to markets. Farmers in villages such as Sindrang and Homtang are shifting from subsistence crops like maize to commercial-grade coffee, supported by federal grants and collective plots. Organic lots are now sold domestically and exported, boosting household incomes and the local economy. (Bhojpur, Nepal)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Honduran coffee exports jump over 80% in February. IHCAFE reported shipments reached about 1.44 m bags, up from roughly 0.79m a year earlier, and export value climbed sharply, with the US, Germany, and Belgium leading as top destinations. (Tegucigalpa, Honduras)

• Fri, 6 Mar – Colombian coffee production and exports drop over 30% in February. Output fell to 583,000 bags while foreign sales decreased to 672,000 units during the month. Adverse weather conditions and lower yields across farming regions caused the sharp decline. (Bogotá, Colombia)

Research

• Tue, 3 Mar – Research highlights coffee’s impact on tumours of the digestive system. The study explores pharmacological mechanisms by which natural compounds in coffee may inhibit cancer cell growth. The findings suggest that moderate consumption could offer protective benefits against various malignant developments. (Oxford, UK)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Deutsche Umwelthilfe study reveals sustainability gaps in German coffee supply chains. The report identifies ongoing issues with deforestation, hazardous pesticides, and labour violations among 21 major companies. The findings rank Alnatura and Tchibo as leaders while Dallmayr and others lag behind. (Berlin, Germany)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Nescafé report shows that independent UK cafés can win customers by raising coffee quality. The survey of 600 UK consumers found that 85% say coffee quality influences where they choose to eat or drink, and 70% of non-coffee drinkers view coffee quality as a marker of an establishment’s overall standard. (London, UK)

• Fri, 6 Mar – Consumer Reports analyses caffeine levels in major coffee brands. The study revealed that amounts fluctuate significantly between servings. Even some decaf options were found to have trace quantities, which is important for people who need to limit their intake for health reasons. (Yonkers, New York, US)

Events & competitions

• Mon, 2 Mar – Norway’s Kaffa Oslo wins 2026 Nordics Best Roaster. Finland’s Good Life Coffee Roasters and Denmark’s Coffee Collective placed second and third, respectively. Iceland’s Te & Kaffi won the Public Choice Award. (Oslo, Norway)

• Mon, 2 Mar – EU Parliament hosts living income and due diligence coffee roundtable. Members heard producer, civil society, and business perspectives on implementing EU due diligence and living income benchmarks, with the aim of aligning regulation with farmgate realities and strengthening price transmission to growers. (Brussels, Belgium)

• Tue, 3 Mar – Grounds for Health Week 2026 to begin on 8 March. The annual campaign mobilises events, fundraisers, and roaster partnerships to support cervical cancer screening and education in coffee-producing regions as part of wider health outreach. Coffee shops and roasters can sign up to receive marketing kits and will be featured in national Grounds for Health campaigns. (Williston, Vermont, US)

• Wed, 4 Mar – SEB Professional Beverage unveils smart retail concepts at EuroShop 2026. Zummo, WMF, and Schaerer showcased an integrated coffee & fresh juice corner with the Z40 Advance, WMF automatic systems, and ISLA demos to boost retail efficiency. (Düsseldorf, Germany)

• Wed, 4 Mar – World Tea Expo 2026 announced for Las Vegas. The trade show will gather tea and infusion brands, suppliers, and retailers for exhibits, workshops, and networking focused on trends, sustainability, and business growth. (Las Vegas, Nevada, US)

• Thu, 5 Mar – Breville returns as platinum sponsor for MICE2026. The event takes place from 26 to 28 March at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The partnership highlights four core brands, including LELIT and Baratza, to engage both coffee professionals and home baristas. (Melbourne, Australia)

• Thu, 5 Mar – IWCA Spain champion wins Women in Coffee Access & Training Grant. Monserrat Cornet, winner of the Espréssate Women’s Barista Championship, received €1,500 from the new grant to cover costs and advance to the Spain Barista Championship, boosting visibility and support for women competitors. (Barcelona, Spain)

• Thu, 5 Mar – World of Coffee Bangkok to run from 7 to 9 May 2026. This marks the third WoC Asia event. The expo will host the 2026 World Cup Tasters Championship, the Roaster Village, the Producer Village, cuppings, lectures, and Brew Bars. (Bangkok, Thailand)

• Fri, 6 Mar – The Barista League Europe to land in Prague on 28 March. The regional competition will see teams battle across espresso, milk, and signature rounds to showcase technical skills and creativity while engaging local communities and cafés in collaborative events. (Prague, Czech Republic)

• Fri, 6 Mar – Fourth edition of Food & Drinks Malaysia by SIAL 2026 will run from 21 to 23 July. This year’s edition is expected to attract over 18,000 visitors, 1,000 brands across 60 countries, and more than 600 exhibitors. The event will also host the 2026 ASEAN Barista Team Championship, which celebrates the artistry, skills, and teamwork of baristas across Southeast Asia. (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

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

• Thu, 26 Feb – illycaffè presents Illy Art Collection by John Armleder at Frieze Los Angeles. Limited-edition cans and installations pair contemporary art with coffee packaging in a US debut, supported by gallery programmes, live activations, and branded merchandising to reach collectors and consumers during the fair. (Los Angeles, California, US)

• Fri, 27 Feb – Minas Gerais expands cover crops programme in coffee fields. The initiative aims to improve soil health and resilience against climate change for local producers. The sustainable practice helps sequester carbon and reduce the need for chemical fertilisers across the region. (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)

Photo credits: Nordic Coffee Fest, Verve Coffee

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