Hawaiian Coffee bill quashed
Six weeks ago we asked you a simple question: “How Hawaiian is Hawaiian coffee?”
The answer actually shocked a few people as we revealed that under current legislation as little as 10% of Kona Coffee has to come from Hawaii’s Big Island for it to be legally packaged and sold as Kona coffee. Unsurprisingly, there was a movement to try and up that percentage and get the current law changed.
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Oahu’s coffee borer quarantine expanded
The islands of Hawaii may be situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, miles away from mainland America, but its picturesque geographical location hasn’t protected its farmers from the dreaded and devastating coffee berry borer, which has plagued coffee growers since the crop was first commercialised.
Last year, the pest spread. An action plan failed to contain the insect and in December the state Department of Agriculture (DoA) admitted that the borer had been found on farms in Waialua, Oahu. These areas were isolated and there was a ban on the transportation of unroasted coffee beans off the island.
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Krispy Kreme signs new retail deal
As the slogan goes, “America Runs on Dunkin’”. Dunkin’ Donuts is ubiquitous, and is often the primary port of call for those who want to partner up a cup of coffee and a doughnut. The Boston-based company has a sizeable market share thanks to their ever expanding store portfolio, branding and presence in retail stores.
But, there is also Krispy Kreme. Not as widespread (they have about 10,000 stores less than Dunkin’), the company founded by Vernon Rudolph in the 1930s is seen, somewhat, as a more premium option. And now they’ve signed a new multi-year licensing deal with Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA that will see their coffee be available to a whole new – and importantly wider – customer base.
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Bank robber arrested after a Dunkin’ break
A bank robber from Queens, New York, could have made off with $4,000 after he pulled off a successful heist, but instead he decided to head off to Dunkin’ Donuts for a coffee and wait for the police to find him.
Michael J Cassano, 38, from Oakland Gardens, robbed the Hudson City Savings Bank’s Lodi branch last Monday with a replica handgun. After leaving the premises and heading to his car that was parked nearby, he decided to amble down the street and head for a coffee and a cigarette.
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Starbucks inadvertently causes a commotion
The phrase ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ may primarily be associated with comic books and Spider Man’s origin, but the words attributed to Benjamin Parker should also be taken on board by many a company – especially those whose business it is to serve and employ a wide range of people from vastly different cultural and social backgrounds.
Some customers of Starbucks with an Armenian background have been up in arms recently after taking offence to some newly installed interior artwork. Visible in a number of locations across the United States, a poster depicted a group of women dressed in traditional Armenian attire standing underneath a depiction of the Turkish flag. Safe to say, the reaction wasn’t positive.
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UNM student ‘doused’ by Deli owner
Times Square Deli, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is normally known for its cuisine and coffee, but recently it took after its famous New York namesake to play host to a theatrical scene that has captured the attention of many American media entities. And at the heart of the story is a cup of coffee.
According to University of New Mexico student Kyton Blair, the owner of the well-known eatery doused him in coffee.
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How Hawaiian is Hawaiian coffee?
The answer to the question posed in the article’s title is that it “can vary”.
But politicians, state officials and local coffee farmers are hoping to clear some remarkably muddy waters by pushing for legislative reform.
“For more than twenty-three years, Hawaii has been the only region in the world that statutorily authorizes the use of its geographic names, such as ‘Kona’, ‘Maui’ and ‘Ka’u’, on labels of its specialty agricultural products,” the current bill states.
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The space-friendly coffee cup
Last year the first ever zero-gravity espresso machine jetted off to be installed on the International Space Station. Punningly titled an ISSpresso machine, this scientifically sculpted unit was designed by the Italian company Argotec to finally enable astronauts with a proper cup of coffee.
But in space a cup isn’t a cup: it’s more of a pouch that could totally change the way that fluid systems on spaceships are constructed.
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Starbucks and Match hope to facilitate coffee dates this Valentine’s
With Christmas now firmly in the rear view mirror and those New Year party outfits back in the wardrobe, February is here and that can only mean one thing: Valentine’s Day.
Luckily – or unluckily for some as the case may be – Starbucks and the popular dating website Match are hooking up in a bid to help singles find their potentially perfect partner.
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A positive sign for I-5 coffee stalls
The I-5 winds its way from the outskirts of San Diego, California, up along the Pacific coastline before delivering drivers at the Canadian border and onward to Vancouver. For a while there had been a number of rest stops located in Washington.
But their existence was threatened after the state removed advertising signs, citing health and safety – despite them being part-managed by local governments.
These non-profit outposts relied on donations to get by, but these cafes provided a vital service to weary travellers.