Coffee Prices Are Soaring. So Why Are We Starting a Coffee Business Now?

The coffee industry is entering a Strange Moment.

Coffee remains one of the world's most consumed commodities, but the people producing, exporting, roasting and selling it are facing an unusually complicated combination of supply problems, weather disruptions, transportation issues and elevated prices.

And this week, the situation became even more complicated.

On August 10, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, one of the world's most important coffee-producing regions. The earthquake caused widespread destruction and disrupted infrastructure, including transportation routes used to move Colombian coffee to export markets. The Financial Times reported that approximately 60% of Colombia's coffee supply chain was affected, while coffee exports through Buenaventura, a major Pacific port, were temporarily halted and shipments were rerouted.

That matters far beyond Colombia.

Colombia is one of the world's major coffee producers and an especially important source of washed Arabica coffee. The country was already dealing with production challenges before the earthquake. The National Federation of Coffee Growers had forecast roughly 12.8 million 60-kg bags for the 2025/26 coffee year, compared with about 14.87 million bags in the previous coffee year. Excessive rainfall was a major factor behind the earlier production concerns.

And the numbers tell a clear story: production during the first half of 2026 was about 5.58 million bags, down roughly 10% from 6.21 million during the same period in 2025. Exports during that period were down about 18% year over year.

The sequence builds on itself: rainfall problems → lower production → weaker exports → earthquake → damaged infrastructure → disrupted export routes → continued uncertainty.

So the coffee industry isn't dealing with just one problem. It's dealing with several problems at once.

And it's not just Colombia.

Vietnam, the world's largest Robusta producer, has also been experiencing elevated coffee prices. On August 12, domestic Vietnamese coffee prices climbed to approximately 97,800–98,000 Vietnamese dong per kilogram, approaching the psychologically important 100,000 VND/kg level. By August 17, prices had settled around 94,200–94,900 VND/kg — still historically elevated, and still volatile.

That's important because Robusta isn't some obscure corner of the coffee market. It's widely used in instant coffee, espresso blends and commercial coffee products. In other words, pressure isn't limited to one type of coffee. Arabica has its problems. Robusta has its problems. And the companies sitting between the farmer and the consumer have to figure out how to deal with both.

The more honest story isn't that coffee prices are going up every single day. It's that coffee prices remain historically elevated and volatile, while supply disruptions and production concerns are adding another layer of uncertainty. Nobody knows exactly where costs are going next.

And somehow, this is when we decided to start a coffee business.

It probably sounds like terrible timing.

Coffee prices are volatile. Supply chains are being tested. Weather continues to create uncertainty for farmers. Transportation costs can change quickly. And consumers are already paying more attention to how much they're spending on everyday products.

So why would anyone look at all of this and think, "Yep. Now is the time to build a coffee company."

We did.

We launched Brew Samplers Club because we don't believe the answer to rising coffee prices is to stop caring about coffee. We believe it's to find better ways to discover, buy and enjoy it.

[Tell your readers what Brew Samplers Club does and why it matters — this is where you make the personal connection.]