
Phuong Tran waits at the bar at Proud Mary Café in Portland, Ore. on Feb. 12, 2023, for her free cup of Black Jaguar Geisha coffee. Tran, who is the owner of Lava Java coffee shop in Ridgefield, Wash., won the Golden Ticket at Proud Mary’s cupping competition for a chance to drink this special roast, priced at $150 a cup.
Culture
How a $150 cup of coffee at a Portland café sheds light on a coffee pricing crisis
Two-thirds of Americans drink coffee every day, but some economists and coffee industry experts say the future of coffee is uncertain. That's because most people don't know the actual cost of coffee production and the average price paid to coffee growers has remained stagnant for decades.