Your weekly round-up of 5 essential coffee industry stories you won’t want to miss...
- Westrock Coffee began a new chapter after completing the most ambitious project in its 17-year history
- McCafé unveiled a major Gen Z-focused brand identity and menu refresh
- How Lavazza went from being an Italian favourite to a truly global brand – and where it sees the next era of growth taking place
- Royal Cup Coffee & Tea completed its multi-million-dollar takeover of a key US competitor
- Pret moved to secure its growing global supply chain with a new senior hire
Westrock emerges as the US coffee powerhouse it has long aspired to be
They say good things come to those who wait, and it must have been a nail-biting three years for Westrock Coffee’s leadership team as it accrued successive losses in pursuit of the most ambitious project in the company’s 17-year history.
In November 2022, Westrock broke ground on a new 524,000sq ft production site in Conway, Arkansas – reportedly the largest roast-to-ready-to-drink (RTD) manufacturing facility in the world.
The site began limited operations in June 2024 and was joined by a new single-serve coffee manufacturing facility 12 months later – at a combined cost of $360m.
After releasing its first-quarter earnings, Westrock now has the clearest indication yet of whether its biggest-ever bet has paid off.
McDonald’s McCafé revamp shows where coffee chain competition is headed
Two and a half years ago, McDonald’s unveiled a new café concept designed to capture the market for indulgent beverages, with a menu including Churro Shaken Espressos, Iced Matcha Lattes and Sour Cherry Energy Bursts.
The CosMc’s concept was discontinued in June 2025. However, after taking stock of the venture, McDonald’s is applying lessons learned to its highly successful McCafé sub-brand.
The result is a McCafé brand refresh and a new beverage line-up that highlights the growing importance of catering to Gen Z and how branded coffee chains are seeking to capture their attention and, more importantly, loyalty.
But what does this new era of beverage innovation look like for McCafé, and how does the new approach stack up against the global competition?
Lavazza sees rising competition in the US and China, but has many levers it can pull to secure market share
Italy’s Lavazza has outlined a goal to grow annual revenues by more than 25% over the next few years, driven by growth in two sizeable and highly competitive markets.
The Turin-based coffee giant achieved 16% year-on-year revenue growth to reach €3.9bn ($4.48bn) in 2025, with net profit up 12% at €92m ($105m).
It is now seeking to increase annual revenues to €5bn ($5.95bn) within the next few years – and it’s looking to two of the world’s largest and most competitive markets to deliver.
Lavazza has a strong presence in both the US and China, but what levers will it pull to outmanoeuvre the competition?
Royal Cup Coffee & Tea completes $28.3m acquisition of major US competitor
The $28.3m deal, announced in March 2026, unites Royal Cup with Texas-based coffee roaster and wholesaler Farmer Brothers – two established coffee and tea businesses with nearly 250 years of experience between them.
The combined business will operate under the Royal Cup name and be based in Birmingham, Alabama.
“This officially marks the beginning of a new chapter,” said Chip Wann, President and CEO, Royal Cup. But how will these veteran brands fare in a US coffee market undergoing significant consolidation and rapid beverage innovation?
Pret A Manger shores up supply chain amid growing global uncertainty with new senior hire
In September 2021, Pret A Manger announced an ambitious plan to double the size of its 550-store business by the end of 2026.
Since then, the UK food-to-go and coffee chain has added approximately 200 stores to its portfolio and expanded from five markets globally to 21, including launches in India, Kuwait, Canada, Spain and Ireland.
Managing a global estate inevitably requires supply chain expertise. But Pret’s timing to appoint its first Chief Supply Chain Officer comes amid rising geopolitical volatility.
The recent conflict in Iran, which has disrupted trade through the Strait of Hormuz, is the third economic shock since 2020, following the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Crucially, the strait is a critical artery for oil, natural gas and fertiliser – the disruption of which will need to be carefully managed by Pret as it seeks to develop its growing store network, particularly in the Middle East, where it has stores in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
