At Snowy Owl Coffee, our mission has always been to make specialty coffee both welcoming and sustainable, from farm to cup. About nine months ago, we adjusted our prices to reflect rising costs in green coffee, driven by global supply and demand shifts, logistics challenges, and lower yields from major coffee-producing countries like Brazil. We explained in detail the reasons behind these increases in our blog post: A Note on our Upcoming Price Adjustment.
Unfortunately, these pressures haven’t eased. The global coffee futures market continues to climb, and the contracts we’re signing for upcoming harvests are significantly higher - in some cases double - than in the past. The biggest driver right now is tariffs. New and proposed tariffs are disrupting and distorting trade flows in ways that we still struggle to understand. Tariffs on Brazilian coffee and potential 100% tariffs on Nicaraguan coffee (one of our key source countries) are reshaping where roasters buy their beans. Many U.S. roasters are turning to other Central and South American origins, which has driven up prices in places like Colombia and Peru, both major sources for us.
On top of that, logistics—from international shipping to local deliveries—keep getting more expensive. Every stage of coffee’s journey, from the farm to your cup, now carries a higher cost, and there does not seem to be any end in sight..
We want to be transparent about what we’re seeing and how we’re responding. We’re constantly looking for ways to operate more efficiently, cut unnecessary expenses, and keep prices as stable as possible. We’ve consolidated some of our platforms, sought to employ automations when possible (and when it does not sacrifice the customer service we pride ourselves on), and negotiated vendor pricing when we can.
One simple but meaningful way our community can help small roasters like us is by paying in cash when visiting our cafés or buying coffee in person. Credit card processing fees are a surprisingly high and growing cost for small businesses. While we’ll continue to accept cards to make purchases convenient, even small shifts toward cash payments can make a big difference—not just for us, but for independent cafés and small businesses everywhere.
Our goal is to avoid another price increase in 2026, but based on the current trends, we may need to adjust early next year. If we do, it will be a last resort, made with care and transparency. We’ll continue to communicate openly and make every decision with our values—integrity, awareness, and community - in mind.
Every cup you enjoy supports fair partnerships with growers, livable wages & benefits for our team, cafes to visit 12 months a year, and a stronger Cape Cod community. Thank you for standing with us as we navigate these challenges together.
An Update on Recent Tariff News: 11.17.25
There was some encouraging news today regarding exemptions for coffee in future trade agreements. This is a welcome step toward easing the pressure on the coffee supply chain. Still, it is important to note that many of the distortions we have been navigating remain firmly in place. Brazilian coffee is still subject to a tariff of 40%. This wil continues to push buyers toward other origins and keeps overall prices high.
While the recent announcement gives us some hope, the markets have not yet settled. Pricing remains unpredictable, and the effects of these trade shifts are still being felt throughout the industry. We will continue to stay on top of these changes and share updates as they come.
