Bitter price increase in American cafes

The price for a cup of coffee in the United States is rising as the tariffs place the pressing of local cafe owners and bakeries.

Some US companies say that the queues for the morning latte are already shorter as customers tighten their belts and the beans imports are more expensive.

Americans spend $ 100 billion (£ 76 billion) a year on coffee, though this may be about to change.

Jorge Prudencio, who runs a bread bite in Washington, says his Coffee distributor in Colombia has simply increased prices after tariffs came into force last week.

The bigger part of coffee in the United States is imported.

In fact, the United States is the world's second leading coffee importer, with the majority coming from Brazil and Colombia, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Since April 5, coffee imports have been affected by 10% rates in the United States against most countries.

Speaking to the BBC, the prudencio said his coffee suppliers told him that his next order would make another increase in prices.

He added that his bakery “will definitely” will increase prices so that customers can handle it.

Asked if he was worried, D -n Prudencio replied, “Of course.”

Au Lait cafe manager just along the street Kamal Mortada said he has been seeing the effect of a steady increase in prices for some time. Inflation turned to a 40-year maximum of former US President Joe Biden.

Before the tariffs began, the Ground Coffee reached the highest recorded price in March 2025 and was over the dollar more expensive than the previous year and $ 3 over the prices of March 2020.

“We have less customers for coffee,” said G -N Mortada.

“Most customers just get ordinary coffee,” instead of adding syrups and milk, he said.

The prices in the menu have increased by 25% and people are now buying smaller coffee.

Mortada also changed your own habits as a user. Instead of his regular trip to Starbucks, he is brewing coffee at home.

He said he saw that the price of a cup of coffee was increasing by at least half a dollar and worried that prices would rise again.

On the opposite coast in San Francisco, another local cafe owner fights what tariffs will mean for her business.

Jenny Ngo, who runs the Telescope Coffee, said she was waiting to hear how much her baking would go.

The coffee she sells is obtained from Ethiopia and Guatemala, with both facing the standard 10%tariff. She also brings her ice cups for coffee from China – and said she noticed the prices of those who have jumped overnight.

“Unfortunately, we design again to raise prices to maintain our business,” she said.

G -n prudencio remains confident that people will still come to his store and buy coffee. He said this is something that people need.

But the recent inflation also affected the price of eggs, crucial to its bakery side of business.

He said they had paid $ 42 for a case when the bakery was opened five months ago, but two weeks later it was more than $ 100 per case.

“Everyone goes through the same thing. We all pay the price.”

The price of eggs is a key symbol of the health of the American economy, often a controversial moment for politicians.

President Donald Trump claims he will reduce the price of eggs, blaming the rates of the Biden administration, which removed millions of chickens laying eggs against the background of a bird flu.

But in March, egg prices reached a record high from $ 6.22 per dozen, according to the consumer price index.

Joel Finkelstein runs Qualia Coffee Roasters, a small business in Washington DC, where he most now sells coffee beans online and at farmers' markets.

Tariffs will only be the most recent in a series of price increases, he told us.

He said he noticed that the price of beans now was expecting to rise again.

“We'll see a reduction in sales,” said G -n Finklestein.