Specialty Coffee (Emerging Industry Overview)

This paper provides an overview of the specialty coffee industry, primarily in the United States. The paper gives a snapshot summary of the emerging industry in the US, with additional sections on its development, organisation and structure, current conditions and leading companies.

Emerging Industry Overview: Specialty Coffee

Industry Snapshot

Contrary to popular belief, coffee did not originate in Brazil or Columbia; rather, it originated in Ethiopia. In the early 2000s, it was the world's second most traded commodity after oil. Specialty coffee has been defined as "a coffee that has no defects and has a distinctive flavor in the cup." The premium variety is Arabica coffee, which accounts for 70 percent of the world's coffee production. Specialty coffee remains one of the fastest-growing food service markets globally, due to the explosion of cafées and gourmet coffee retailers.

Organization and Structure

After growing...

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