Good Morning - Tuesday, August 5th - It’s been a while and you've missed this newsletter. I just know it. TLDR - Just the Drip isn’t supporting my coffee habit, so client work got in the way of this passion project. Working on a flow to make sure we make time for everything coffee love! Enjoy.

This weeks grind:

Trust me - when I first saw “Black Rock IPO,” I thought wait… the investment giant that owns stakes in companies holding 60,000 homes is now getting into coffee? Rest easy. It’s not the same BlackRock. Black Rock Coffee (with a space) is privately owned by Jeff Hernandez and Daniel Brand, and was founded back in 2008. They don’t have any locations in Vegas, and I haven’t spotted one on my travels, so they’re still fairly new to me. Also? They don’t exactly seem concerned with coffee flavors. It’s giving “milkshakes in a plastic cup” vibes.

That said, Black Rock Coffee Bar just hit the national spotlight - and the stock market watchlist. The Oregon-based chain, known for its blaring music, hyper-sweet drinks, and "party-in-a-cup" espresso energy, has officially filed for an IPO. With 130 stores in 9 states and plans to add 40 more by year’s end, they’re not playing small. Black Rock is gunning for full-throttle growth, and investors are invited along for the jittery, whipped-cream-topped ride.

Unlike your favorite indie roaster lovingly describing their washed Ethiopian like a fine wine, Black Rock isn’t trying to win over the specialty crowd. Their IPO filing leans hard into what they are: high energy, heavy flavor, and fast expansion. Think Dutch Bros energy - but with more sugar and zero apologies. And while many of us might instinctively clutch our V60s in horror, Black Rock is proving there’s serious money in caffeinated chaos.

With China’s Luckin Coffee barreling into the U.S. baristas blazing, we’ll see if there’s room on Wall Street for yet another publicly traded coffee chain. As for me? “Sugar Coffee Pro Max” doesn’t sound like something I’ll be sipping anytime soon. But hey - good luck out there.

I usually avoid writing about tariffs because it’s hard to steer clear of political talk - and the last thing I want is to turn this into that kind of discussion. But dammit, my favorite part of the morning is getting expensive. Thankfully, it looks like there might be a way to avoid the full price hike.

Good news for green coffee importers: there’s still a shot at dodging those steep tariffs. The U.S. Trade Representative just announced a new opportunity to apply for exclusions on products hit by the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods - including coffee brewers, grinders, and espresso machines. The original exemption expired in 2023, but the Specialty Coffee Association and other industry voices are pushing hard to get it reinstated. If successful, it could offer some much-needed relief to cafés and roasters already squeezed by tight margins and rising costs. The public comment period is open until August 28, so the coffee world is making noise - because, honestly, a $400 espresso machine shouldn’t come with a side of global trade drama.

I still remember grabbing bags for the Just The Drip podcast back in the early days - $12 to $15 for a 12oz bag was the norm. Now, it’s not uncommon to walk into a local roaster and see $18 to $23 for the same thing. And listen, my so-called “sophisticated” palate just can’t go back to drinking Kirkland coffee by the 2.5-pound bag. It just can’t.

I’m going to go ahead and assume this newsletter qualifies for the journalism swimming pool - so technically, we’re potential award-winning journalists. We’re just... missing the awards part. Personally, I’m a solid three cups every morning, give or take a few re-heats depending on how chaotic the day gets.

In a study that surprised absolutely no one, journalists topped the list as the most caffeinated professionals, according to a recent survey of 20,000 workers. Apparently, guzzling coffee while juggling deadlines, fielding editors, and surviving the 24/7 news cycle is basically part of the job description. Other top-tier coffee consumers include teachers, tradespeople, and healthcare workers - aka, anyone just trying to function while the world slowly unravels. The kicker? Journalists aren’t just sipping - they’re chugging, with 66% reporting increased intake. This isn’t a trend; it’s a survival tactic.

Also, 2.39 cups per day for IT workers feels wildly low. In my experience, IT folks were the true caffeine champions. They had their own coffee mugs, basically lived in the break room, and their cups never saw the bottom. Just a continuous stream of java, all day long - like a server pinging the caffeine cloud non-stop.