CLEVELAND — If you're like me, you need at least one cup of coffee to get through the morning.
Like so many of the products we're buying these days, getting that caffeine fix is costing more.
I stopped by Ready Set! Coffee Roasters in Gordon Square, and spoke with co-owner, Chris Allen.
Allen told me tariffs on beans from the 10 regions he buys from, countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Honduras, are behind the anticipated spike.
"If I was going to guess, judging on trends, coffee is going to be at least 30% higher and now it's already at record highs anyways," said Allen.
While he's mostly been using inventory bought ahead of the tariffs and pulled back on buying higher-end boutique blends, Allen has seen added costs.
The small business owner has tried to absorb the costs, but cafe prices have been impacted, with drinks going up in price anywhere from $0.50 to $1.00.
"I remember when we made an announcement about raising prices, we had a line that day. People came to support us and say hey, we know what's going on, we want to come buy our coffee," said Allen.
Allen said they have been transparent about their pricing and will continue to do so.
When I stopped by Thursday morning, the coffee shop was packed.
Allen said shops like his are a place people still want to visit, and it's an affordable luxury you can give yourself.
The question I have is at what price threshold do you say nah, that's too much for a drink?
Let me know on my Facebook page.
I spoke with a customer at Ready Set! and asked her the same question.
"I would still come here, I might just not come here every single day, but I'm going to be here I think no matter how high the prices get to support them because they're a good local business and I care about my neighborhood," said Nic Smith.
