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Starbucks to Sell Seattle’s Best Coffee to Nestlé

Starbucks plans to sell the Seattle’s Best Coffee brand to Nestlé, with which the company established the Global Coffee Alliance in 2018. This transaction will further strengthen the Global Coffee Alliance by allowing both companies to focus on their core strengths.

“We continue to deepen our partnership with Nestlé to deliver the best of the Starbucks Experience to our customers in channels outside of our retail stores,” said Michael Conway, group president, Starbucks International and Channel Development. “We’re confident that Nestlé will continue to grow the Seattle’s Best Coffee brand as we focus on our strategy to elevate the premium coffee experience for consumers through the Starbucks brand.”

Since forming the Global Coffee Alliance in 2018, Nestlé and Starbucks have introduced a wide range of premium coffee products to new markets at a fast pace – including whole bean coffee, roast and ground coffee as well as Starbucks capsules for Nespresso and Nescafé Dolce Gusto proprietary systems. Today, Nestlé distributes Starbucks consumer products and foodservice beverages across more than 80 markets outside Starbucks retail stores under the Global Coffee Alliance.

“Our partnership with Starbucks has confirmed Nestlé’s leading position in the dynamic and growing global coffee market,” said David Rennie, head of Nestlé Coffee Brands. “With the well-known Seattle’s Best Coffee brand, we will continue to build our leadership in coffee by offering consumers more choice for their everyday coffee.”

Through the Global Coffee Alliance, Nestlé and Starbucks will continue to closely work together to develop new, innovative products and go-to market strategies to amplify the reach and expand the unique experience of the Starbucks brand locally and globally.

The transaction is expected to close by end of 2022, subject to respective board and customary regulatory approvals. Both companies have agreed to keep the terms of this transaction confidential.

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PRESS Coffee, Sprouts Farmers Market Announce Pilot Specialty Coffee Location

Sprouts pairs with PRESS Coffee for specialty coffee locationPRESS Coffee and Sprouts Farmers Market have launched a specialty coffee pilot of the first-ever locally owned PRESS Coffee location inside of a Sprouts store. This PRESS location will act as a convenient stop on any person’s weekly shopping trip inside Sprouts located at 3320 N. 7th Avenue in Phoenix.

The new space will feature a workspace area and full drink menu including specialty drip and cold brew coffee, shakers, hot and iced tea and nitro bold brew.

“Growing up in Arizona, I have always been a Sprouts customer,” said PRESS co-owner Jason Kyle. “Seeing the commitment from the Sprouts team to providing a quality experience for the customer makes it a perfect fit for PRESS and our ‘Quality Driven, Community Focused’ effort.’”

“Choosing to partner with the Arizona-based PRESS Coffee was an easy decision,” said Dave McGlinchey, chief strategy officer of Sprouts. “PRESS and Sprouts have a shared mission of providing people fresh, quality, sustainable and ethically sourced specialty products. We are proud to open our first pilot location in the Phoenix community for all to enjoy.”

Roasting, brewing and serving the world’s finest specialty Coffee is the foundation of PRESS Coffee. Rare beans are sourced from select farmers and then roasted at PRESS’ roastery in Phoenix.

Sprouts, headquartered in Phoenix, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

In addition, the pilot location will offer a limited supply of the regular in-store retail items including whole and ground coffee beans. PRESS also offers monthly coffee bean subscriptions shipping locally and throughout the United States with subscribers receiving the option to buy the quarterly Allocation release – a high-end, limited supply specialty coffee, first.

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Central Perk Coffeehouse Breaks Into Reality

EDITOR’S NOTE: Try reading this announcement about Central Perk without having the “Friends” theme loop in your brain. We couldn’t!

Central PerkWarner Bros. Themed Entertainment with CenPer Holdings, composed of industry experts from the coffee, specialty food and beverage, hospitality, and entertainment worlds — including “Top Chef” and multiple James Beard Foundation Award Winner Tom Colicchio — announced Central Perk Coffeehouse, a modern-day coffeehouse inspired by the hit TV series, opening its first location in 2023.

Imbued with the same heart and soul as the iconic setting from the series, Central Perk Coffeehouse will be a place for fans (and friends) to slow down and come together over great coffee and eats.

Fans know Central Perk as the gathering place for Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandle>r, and Ross — the ultimate hang-out spot — not only to get a delicious cup of coffee but also where the gang spent much of their free time conversing and making memories.  Fast forward 28 years and a modern-day version will open its real doors in 2023.

“Central Perk is more than just a coffeehouse, it was a home away from home for our six favorite ‘Friends’,” said Peter van Roden, SVP, Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment.  “Working closely with the CenPer Holdings team in creating this fresh, yet familiar environment, we’re looking forward to giving fans a coffeehouse of their own — coffeehouses that captures the heart of the show while delivering a first-class coffee experience.”

While the first location and opening date will be announced soon, fans will immediately be able to get their coffee fix now with the launch of Central Perk Coffee, a line of artisanal quality coffees made with the highest quality premium Arabica beans available in three select varietals:

– “How You Doin’?” (medium roast)
– “Pivot Blend” (medium/dark roast)
– “We Were on a Coffee Break” (dark roast)

“Our goal with this partnership and the Central Perk brand,” Colicchio said, “like all of my food and beverage enterprises, is to secure the best ingredients and then deliver superior products and services for a great customer experience.  With Central Perk, we can’t wait to offer friends old and new a really enjoyable premium cup of coffee and hope they settle in with us for the next chapter of this beloved story.”

Each blend is available in whole bean and ground formats, as well as BPI Certified compostable single serve coffee pods compatible with Keurig K-Cup  brewers.  Single Central Perk Coffee products are also available.  All coffees are sustainably sourced, produced and packaged using responsible environmental practices.

Central Perk Coffee can be orderedby visiting www.centralperk.com. The first 6,000 subscribers will receive a complimentary collectable can of “How You Doin’?” coffee, a medium roast ground varietal. This individually numbered limited edition tin was created exclusively for true “Friends” fans and coffee lovers.

Fans can watch “Friends: The Reunion” special and binge all 236 episodes of the original beloved series on HBO Max.

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