coffeeshop

Washington's efforts at financial reform keep having strange and unintended consequences. In response to a law that was meant to lower excessive debit card transaction fees on merchants, Visa and Mastercard found a way to raise the fees on a host of small businesses.

The longtime coffee rivals may be discussing a merger that could provide the smaller player with a boost in the single-cup market. And Peet's, which has longstanding deals with grocery chains, could steer Starbucks towards a smoother grocery distribution strategy.

As the economy improves, Americans have begun splurging again. But they're limiting their indulgences to haircuts, casual dining and coffee, while continuing to forego many bigger expenditures, like vacations and dining at expensive restaurants.

Starbucks said Wednesday that it plans to grow its worldwide sales by expanding its 220 stores in mainland China to "at least" 1,500 by 2015. The world's largest coffee chain also is planning to add stores in Brazil, Russia and India.

Starbucks drew more customers to its stores and got them to spend more money, boosting its fiscal fourth-quarter profit 86% from the same quarter a year ago. Same-store sales grew 8% in that time.

Starbucks has accelerated fiscal fourth-quarter same-store sales growth thanks to increasing demand for breakfast snacks and higher-priced coffee. That's the conclusion of a UBS analyst, who raised his stock price-target on the company's stock today.

Lots of people mourned when Portland, Ore. coffee shop and brightly lit, family-friendly cafe, Sydney's, announced it was closing this Friday due to losing its lease. "Irreconcilable differences," the owner said. Why? Everyone asked. It was so popular with parents whose children attended the...

Next year could be when free Wi-Fi becomes as ubiquitous as the Dollar Menu thanks to a recent announcement by McDonald's that nearly every Golden Arches location will begin offering free wireless Internet beginning in January. Currently, the service, costs $2.95 for 2 hours of service at 11,000...

The price is listed, it's true, but the marketing is all about the taste. "Hello to a new day," say chalked signs in Starbucks outlets everywhere. In my corner Starbucks, it's the Bacon Artisan Sandwich and Tall Pike Place Roast that are marketed on the homey sign. I picked the "delightful...

While it's not strictly recommended to let children drink caffeinated beverages, it's rare that a coffee shop restricts its fare to the over-18 set. If it were any other sort of business, I'd be up their protesting my kids' right to drink coffee (my two youngest children love the stuff), but I...