For many locals, coffee is more than a morning ritual; it’s a small but meaningful connection to local businesses, neighborhood culture, and even global trade. Local coffee roasters like Zeke’s Coffee have built a loyal following by curating blends with coffee beans from around the world. But for small coffee businesses, a new wave of U.S. tariffs is brewing up trouble right in Baltimore.
The federal government recently imposed a 50% import tax on several goods, including the world’s most popular bean production country, Brazil. Although the tariffs aimed to boost domestic production, coffee beans are unable to be widely grown in the United States. Thus, coffee import roasters are left with little choice: either raise prices, reformulate blends, or seek alternative suppliers altogether.
Zeke’s Coffee, which is featured at Loyola under the exclusive ‘Greyhound Grind’ blend, is less than comforted by the current import market. Director of Zeke’s Wholesale Operations Brett Rhodes explained these tariffs have made it increasingly difficult to manage production expenses.
“Harvests were low but demand is still high in the country. Coffee consumption continues to grow and tariffs have added to the pain,” Rhodes said.
Due to a lack of ability to continue absorbing costs, Zeke’s Coffee instated a price increase. Its signature one-pound bags, still a full 16 ounces, unlike the industry’s standard 12, rose to $20 for regular coffee and $21 for decaf. Coffee beverages also saw a small bump. Zeke’s Coffee announced the decision on Instagram.
“We have absorbed the increase for the past six months because we try to bring the best value to our customers that we possibly can. But it has become unbearable to continue to endure the increase.”
The financial squeeze isn’t just about coffee. It affects how small businesses located around Loyola are able to survive.
“It’s never easy running a small business. But just the way things are in the market in general, how volatile things have been, does not make planning for the future very easy. You know there are bigger companies that can sort of withstand the chaos that’s happening from day to day, but we’re not necessarily in that position,” Rhodes said.
Secretary of the Maryland Department of Agriculture Kevin Atticks believes adaptability will be key for small coffee businesses navigating this new landscape.
“There’s positives to being a small business. You may be more nimble. You may not have built your branding around it being specific coffee from Colombia or specific coffee from Brazil… That’s been my advice to smaller businesses: be nimble. It’s work. You can’t just stick to your suppliers, you have to try finding new ones,” Atticks said.
For Zeke’s Coffee, this advice is bittersweet. Several of its products are named after the places it sources from, making it difficult to change regions on the fly. Its most popular blend is an example of this. Their 1/2 and 1/2 Brazil combines coffee from three different regions of the world, using Indonesian, African, and Central American beans.
“We’re kinda holding on and seeing what happens. We’re trying to promote other things. If we have to take a coffee out of rotation due to it not making any sense [financially] then we will,” Rhodes said.
For now, Zeke’s Coffee and other small coffee roasters are waiting to see how the market adjusts, and whether their customers will too. In the meantime, consumers can find Zeke’s Coffee available at local cafes, farmers markets, and on campus at Green and Grey.
