In other coffee business news... 9-15 November 2024

7-Eleven began selling fresh-brewed coffee in the US in 1964 | Photo credit: 7-Eleven

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7-Eleven launches ‘60-Cent Coffee Mondays’ to mark 60th anniversary 
 

US convenience giant 7-Eleven has launched a value-focused $0.60 coffee offer for its 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards loyalty scheme members to mark its 60th anniversary. The ‘60-Cent Coffee Mondays’ promotion, running every Monday until the end of 2024, offers members a small cup of any fresh-brewed coffee for just $0.60 at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes convenience stores across the US. Founded in the US in 1927, 7-Eleven began selling fresh-brewed coffee in the US in 1964 and holds claim to inventing the coffee to-go format. 

illy crowns Brazil's Fazenda Serra do Boné ‘Best of the Best’  

Brazilian coffee farm Fazenda Serra do Boné has won the coveted ‘Best of the Best’ accolade at the ninth annual Ernesto Illy International Coffee Awards – named after the founder of Italian coffee roaster illycaffè. Located in Minas Gerais, the 128-hectare Fazenda Serra do Boné farm is known for its ‘despolpado’ processing, which involves removing the skin of the coffee cherry before letting the seed dry naturally, which produces sweeter coffees with more complex acidity. The SMS Cluster ECOM of Nicaragua was also successful at the 2024 Ernesto Illy International Coffee Awards, winning the Coffee Lovers’ Choice award, voted for by consumers who took part in a blind tasting in the weeks leading up to the event. 
 

Starbucks Mexico partners with the Naranjeros de Hermosillo baseball team 

Starbucks Mexico, operated by Mexico City-based franchise group Alsea, has announced a new partnership with the Naranjeros de Hermosillo, one of Mexico’s most successful baseball teams. The coffee chain said the partnership will provide exclusive perks to Naranjeros de Hermosillo fans, including discounts on Starbucks products in stores before matches, interactions with players and unique experiences at the club’s Fernando Valenzuela Stadium in Sonora. To mark the new partnership, Starbucks barista Bárbara threw the ceremonial first pitch for the Naranjeros’ season opener against the Monterrey Sultanes on 13 November 2024. Alsea currently operates 860 licensed Starbucks stores in Mexico. 
 

Paris Baguette turns to AI to streamline franchisee interview process  

Paris Baguette is using artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up the interview process for prospective franchisees and make the process ‘convenient’. The South Korean bakery-café chain trialled AI interviews during July-October 2024 to conduct competency tests using an AI bot. Paris Baguette says the system will now replace face-to-face interviews after finding it ‘strengthened the objectivity and fairness’ of the review process. According to Paris Baguette, the new system enables it to manage data more effectively through AI analysis and generate cost efficiencies.

Luckin Coffee opens museum highlighting Brazilian coffee importance in its supply chain 

Chinese coffee giant Luckin Coffee has unveiled a museum showcasing the vital role Brazilian coffee plays in its supply chain. Located at its Jiangsu roasting facility, the Luckin Brazil Coffee Museum charts nearly 300 years of development within the Brazilian coffee industry, with exhibitions outlining the journey of selected Brazilian coffee beans from origin to Luckin Coffee’s outlets. Luckin Coffee said the site marks an important step in its cooperation with the Brazilian coffee industry, which includes a $500m deal with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) to purchase 120,000 tons of coffee from the South American country over the next two years.