Hi from the largest coffee market in the world, dear Coffee Lovers,
This weekend at the Javits Center in New York, thousands of coffee professionals gathered at one of the most important meeting points for independent coffee businesses in the U.S.
Coffee Fest New York - a pulse check for where coffee is heading.
The energy on the floor was unmistakable: roasters launching new concepts, baristas pushing craft to the next level, and operators navigating one of the most volatile coffee markets in decades.
A few highlights from the agenda and conversations:
☕ The next generation of drinks: Sessions like “2026 Drink Trends” made one thing clear: visually striking drinks, bold flavor combinations, and hybrid beverages are redefining café menus and consumer expectations.
📈 Coffee businesses are becoming more strategic. Workshops on scaling roasting operations, pricing, and sustainable business models showed how quickly the industry is professionalizing.
🎓 Education is exploding. Coffee Fest offered nearly 120 hours of educational content - from barista craft to building and scaling coffee companies.
During my keynote, I focused on three major shifts shaping the future of the industry:
🌍 Global demand keeps expanding
Around 3 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day worldwide, and consumption has roughly doubled over the past 30 years.
🧊 Cold coffee is redefining the category
Cold brew, RTD, and hybrid beverages are bringing entirely new consumers into coffee.
⚙️ The biggest transformation will happen behind the cup. AI, automation, and better data systems will reshape sourcing, trading, roasting, and logistics across the value chain.
My takeaway from New York:
Coffee is becoming more complex as a business but more exciting than ever as a culture. And the entrepreneurial energy of the independent coffee community remains one of the strongest forces driving this industry forward.
Great to see so much passion, creativity, and innovation in one place here in New York - a powerful reminder that the future of coffee will be shaped as much by entrepreneurs as by global brands.
