Java Blog

Following last year’s introduction of the McCafe line into neighborhood McDonald’s locations, Burger King has reportedly made plans to upgrade its own coffee offerings.

For the past five years, Burger King has offered its BK Joe brand of coffee beverages. By September, Burger King will now feature Seattle’s Best (a Starbucks brand) with various features, such as vanilla shots and mocha flavors.

The new coffee will range from $1 to $2.79 and will feature 100% Arabic beans.

So far, the deal has proved profitable for both Seattle’s Best and Burger King on the trading floor, and Burger King hopes to improve its breakfast options through the deal, offering more profit long term.

For many people who enjoy a particular sport, hobby or food item, starting a business around that interest is often somewhere in the back of their minds. Coffee shops are one of the most common business ideas–after all, who doesn’t love a steaming, robust cup of coffee?

In today’s economy, it’s not surprise that small businesses are not thriving the way they were even just a couple years ago. Coffee Shops are no exception. It seems simple enough to the prospective business owner: buy some coffee beans, and start roasting. After all, how much could it cost to brew up some coffee and put it in a paper cup?

It turns out that launching a coffee shop with the appropriate utilities and equipment costs between $100,000 and $200,000. To break even in such a situation requires selling nearly a cup of coffee every two minutes. For some locations, this might be feasible, but for others–particularly small shops in less urban areas, with fewer employees and limited hours of operation, this is nearly impossible.

So, if you’re thinking of starting a coffee shop, give it a few years. Wait until people have more spare change to spend on a cup of coffee and then rethink investing. For now, just treat yourself, your family, your friends and your co-workers to some single serving k-cups from ACS Java. They’ll thank you. If you put out a jar, maybe you’ll even get some tips!

As she pulled away from the Burger King, Crystal Branch was burned by the cup of hot coffee that an employee placed not in a cup holder, but inside a paper bag. Ms. Branch is arguing that the cup of coffee should have been visible, and that this would have spared her some pain.

For this little incident, she’s suing Burger King for $50,000. Back in 1992, another woman sued McDonalds for $2.9 million dollars following a similar coffee-spilling incident and won. Who knew getting coffee from fast food joints could be such risky business?

This year, avoid nasty burns from coffee, no matter how carelessly it’s handed to you by fast food employees. Practice coffee-handling safety: If you order coffee, watch for it as you are handed your order out the fast food window. Take care not to mishandle the cup that is labeled “HOT.”

If you want to be extra careful, remain in control of your coffee from start to finish and save a bunch of money in the process, just invest in a K-Cup brewer. You can never be too safe.

As many regions of Africa face continued political and economic instability, as they have for centuries, the Eastern African Fine Coffees Association hopes it has found a solution to some of the unrest.

Increased coffee production, says the Association, are the key to boosting the economy and stabilizing some of the social unrest seen in Eastern nation. Currently, Africa only produces about 12% of the world’s coffee, but the Association hopes to increase that percentage 15-20% by 2020.

Coffee brings people together—whether it’s being drank, processed or produced, coffee is a force for peace in the world. Next time you drink coffee, you can feel good knowing that you’re supporting a beverage that supports solutions to social crisis.

In her new book, Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin writes that if she and current Secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton were to talk over coffee, “I know that we would fundamentally disagree on many issues,” but that she Respects Clinton because of, “her hard work on the 2008 campaign trail.”

When asked about this portion of Palin’s new book, Clinton responded that she would be happy to meet the former Republican candidate and talk over some of those points of disagreement.

Coffee is the world’s most popular beverage. With consumption at 400 billion cups every year, it’s the world’s second most popular commodity after oil. With its universal appeal, coffee has become not only a delicious drink, but also a social experience and even a diplomatic one.

What could bring two political adversaries together for a friendly chat? Only a steaming cup of coffee.