KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
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This week has been a grind for Jon Cates.
He’s a partner at Broadway Roasting Company. It provides coffee for its sister location, Broadway Cafe, and sells beans to restaurants and the public.
Cates spent last week in Nicaragua negotiating prices for coffee beans. When he got back to Kansas City, Missouri, President Donald Trump announced a new set of tariffs.
Cates said the tariffs will increase the price he pays for coffee beans. He isn’t sure yet how that will impact prices for his customers.
“I can’t really say we’re going to raise the price by 25 cents or 50 cents, it could be we try to absorb a little bit, we try to be fair to the coffee producers we’re buying from,” Cates said. “These tariffs are going to affect all aspects of coffee.”
Part of President Trump’s reasoning for the tariffs is to encourage companies to produce the items in the United States that they here. Cates said the problem with coffee is you can’t grow it in the United States.
The United States imports about 99% of the coffee Americans drink.
“What I’d like to see is coffee be exempted from tariffs,” he said.
Dan Dakotas loves one particular blend of Broadway Roasting Company’s coffee. He bought five pounds of the blend Friday, knowing he’d be able to make his purchase before tariffs take effect Saturday.
“They’re going to have to pay more for their coffee beans, and we’re going to have to pay more for the coffee,” Dakotas predicted.
Another customer said there’s a balance to supporting local and staying within his budget.
“I’d probably pay extra until it gets to be kind of crazy,” Chad Vick admitted.