Global Coffee Industry Daily Briefing: Brands, Tech and Markets

Orchestra Private Equity acquires South Korea’s Mammoth Coffee, targets regional expansion

Orchestra Private Equity has acquired **Mammoth Coffee Lab**, operator of the fast-growing low-cost **Mammoth Coffee** franchise in South Korea, in a deal that positions the chain for accelerated expansion in Asia, including a focused push into the Japanese market (The Korea Economic Daily Global, 8 January 2026). The investor described Mammoth Coffee as a value-focused concept with strong unit economics and high store expansion potential in tier-two and tier-three cities, and indicated that post-acquisition strategy will prioritize new outlets and brand strengthening in existing domestic markets before scaling internationally (The Korea Economic Daily Global, 8 January 2026).

According to the report, Mammoth Coffee’s relatively low average ticket and streamlined menu have supported rapid network growth and strong same-store performance, making it an attractive consolidation play in a fragmented Asian coffee shop landscape (The Korea Economic Daily Global, 8 January 2026). The deal underscores continued private equity interest in scalable coffee chains across East Asia, where rising away-from-home consumption and competitive pricing remain key drivers of transaction volumes (The Korea Economic Daily Global, 8 January 2026).

(Source: The Korea Economic Daily Global, 8 January 2026, https://www.kedglobal.com/mergers-acquisitions/newsView/ked202601080005)

Northshore Specialty Coffee and FigBrew launch 50/50 coffee–fig blend for digestive-sensitive consumers

Northshore Specialty Coffee and FigBrew have announced an **industry-first 50/50 blend of premium Guatemalan arabica and roasted fig**, positioning the product as a solution for the estimated 55% of coffee drinkers who experience digestive discomfort from traditional coffee (Comunicaffe International, 8 January 2026). The collaboration combines Northshore’s single-origin **Guatemalan Huehuetenango Fedecocagua** coffee with FigBrew’s Original Digestive Roast fig component, aiming to reduce jitters and acidity while preserving flavor and aroma for specialty coffee consumers (Comunicaffe International, 8 January 2026).

The partners highlight research suggesting that suitable land for coffee cultivation may shrink by up to 50% by 2050 due to climate change, deforestation and disease, and present roasted fig as a complementary ingredient that could support more resilient product formulations as climate pressures intensify (Comunicaffe International, 8 January 2026). Northshore frames the launch as part of a broader strategy to “evolve the coffee experience” in the US South, using alternative ingredients and roast curves to broaden consumption among health- and comfort-conscious drinkers (Comunicaffe International, 8 January 2026).

(Source: Comunicaffe International, 8 January 2026, https://www.comunicaffe.com/northshore-and-figbrew-launch-industry-first-joint-50-50-coffee-fig-blend)

Acaia introduces Pyxis Black ultra-precision micro scale for espresso and filter coffee

Coffee technology brand **Acaia** has launched the **Pyxis Black**, a compact coffee scale designed to measure to the thousandth of a gram, targeting professional baristas and precision-focused home users (Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine, 8 January 2026). The Pyxis Black measures approximately 2.55 by 2.55 inches and maintains the company’s focus on ultra-fast response times and Bluetooth connectivity, offering a high-capacity load cell within a minimal footprint suitable for tight espresso bars and competition settings (Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine, 8 January 2026).

Positioned at the premium end of the scale segment, the Pyxis Black underscores the continued **technological arms race in espresso and brewing equipment**, where micro-dosing accuracy, repeatability and data capture are increasingly central to workflow optimization and recipe replication (Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine, 8 January 2026). The launch aligns with broader trends toward integrated, app-connected brewing ecosystems and reflects growing willingness among specialty venues to invest in high-specification measurement tools to differentiate cup quality and consistency (Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine, 8 January 2026).

(Source: Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine, 8 January 2026, https://dailycoffeenews.com)

Arabica coffee prices ease but remain markedly above year-ago levels

Benchmark **arabica coffee futures** traded around **376.49 USd/lb** on the most recent close, representing a 0.58% daily increase but a decline of roughly 4.5% over the past month, while still standing about 18.2% higher than a year earlier (Trading Economics, last updated 8 January 2026). Coffee prices remain supported by historically low certified stockpiles, which, despite a recent rise to about 457,317 bags, are still tight by multi-year standards and continue to underpin concerns over supply availability (Trading Economics, last updated 8 January 2026).

Analysts cited by the platform note that Brazilian production is constrained by several consecutive years of climatic volatility and the biennial nature of arabica harvests, even as medium-term projections from some market observers anticipate a **global surplus of approximately 7 million bags in the 2026/27 season**, with output expected to exceed consumption (Trading Economics, last updated 8 January 2026). Market participants are closely tracking rainfall patterns in Brazil’s current bean formation phase, as well as currency dynamics such as the stronger Brazilian real, which can discourage export selling and further tighten near-term supply flows (Trading Economics, last updated 8 January 2026).

(Source: Trading Economics – Coffee commodity overview, last updated 8 January 2026, https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/coffee)

Disclaimer: This press review reports data and trends from third-party published sources. CoffeeBI is not responsible for the accuracy of the figures or the content of the original articles. For further insights or tailored analysis on the topic, feel free to contact CoffeeBI.