Coffee prices percolating upward

BOSTON, May 9 (UPI) -- The high price of coffee beans has become an unwanted additive in coffee shops, a survey of Boston cafes indicates.

With droughts and rains affecting the world's coffee-growing regions, restaurants and cafes boosted their prices, adding anywhere from a nickel to 20 cents a cup in recent weeks, The Boston Globe reported Monday.

"I've been here for five years, and this is the most significant increase," said Dave Maffucci, a barista for a Peet's Coffee and Tea outlet in Wellesley, Mass., where the price of a large cup of brewed coffee jumped 20 cents to $2.25 two weeks ago.

Last week the price of Arabica beans per pound surged to $2.88 on the global commodity futures market that sets prices for green Arabica beans, compared to $1.38 a year ago. The soaring price has affected almost all coffees, from popular brands sold in grocery stores to organic specialty blends.

"Even during the Great Depression, coffee sales didn't drop," said Meghan Hubbs, co-owner at Equal Exchange, a West Bridgewater fair-trade roaster and importer that supplies beans to 70 cafes and restaurants in the Bay State and owns cafes in Boston and Seattle.