CLEVELAND — Coffee drinkers are feeling the squeeze as prices for their daily brew continue to climb, rising 20.9% over the past year.
For Brian Murphy, the appeal of coffee is undeniable.
“I love the aroma. I love the taste,” he said. “I love when you get different kinds of coffee; you can put different flavors in.”
But there’s one thing he doesn’t love: the price.
“I think it’s gone up almost 100%,” Murphy said.
Experts attribute the higher costs to a combination of factors. Severe drought in Venezuela and Brazil, two of the world’s largest coffee producers, has reduced supply. New tariffs on Brazil, instituted by the Trump administration earlier this year, have added another layer of pressure.
“The biggest problem with these price increases and the tariffs is they just come seemingly willy nilly,” said Matt Ashton, owner of Lekko Coffee in Cleveland. “When it’s an overnight tweak that tells us it’s 50% more expensive on our most bought product, we can’t plan for that.”
Ashton stocked up ahead of the price hike, purchasing three to four months’ worth of beans.
However, he expects the supply to run out within weeks, leaving him searching for alternative sources.
“We’ll be through that a month and a half from now and we’re looking at other countries of sourcing,” he said.
For now, prices at his shop have remained steady, but consumers may soon feel the burn.
“It hasn’t over the years gone up so exponentially that I feel like I can’t do it,” said customer Myra Embry. “But who knows what the future will bring.”
The price pressures come just in time for National Coffee Day, when many chains traditionally hand out free cups of joe.
This year, fewer businesses are offering full giveaways. Instead, many require a purchase to cash in on the deal, perhaps a nod to the hot cost of beans.
Some offers remain: Lionheart Coffee in Downtown Cleveland is offering a free house blend, Heartwood Coffee is giving away tumblers and coffee to the first 50 guests on Wednesday, and Dunkin' is offering free hot or iced coffee to rewards members.
