Coffee shop owners in Los Angeles are planning to raise their beverage prices in response to the new tariffs. Amber Frias reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 4, 2025.
Coffee shop owners in Los Angeles are planning to raise their beverage prices in response to President Donald Trump’s new wave of tariffs on imported goods, including coffee beans.
Small, neighborhood coffee shop owners who import most of their coffee from several countries in Latin America and Africa, estimate a price hike of between $1 and $2 per cup.
Eric Dehaven, owner of House Coffee Company in West Adams, said the uncertainties are unsettling for him and his business.
“A lot of the countries where the beans come from are maybe not fully tariffed, so maybe 10% is what we’re hearing,” Dehaven.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
When over 99% of the coffee Americans drink is imported, the industry was already grappling with near record prices for imported coffee, according to the House Coffee Company owner.
“We had expectations for about a 50 cent to a $1 rise per cup at coffee shops, and now with tariffs being added we’re expecting a potential of even more rise,” Dehaven said.
AJ Barish, owner of the Conservatory for Coffee, Tea and Cocoa in Culver City said while his business is currently barely getting by and he fears customers will rethink a trip to a coffee shop in the new economy, he sees possible positive effects from the tariffs.
“I think in the long term, it's going to make things better,” Barish said. “Fuel is going to come down, there's going to be more American jobs.”
